The Lord's Judgement
by Salemsoriginal99
Summary: PostHog. Hermione and Ron are leading a wonderful life with all they ever wanted. But when someone comes and ruins it all, will there be enough strength to hold on to what is left?
1. The Lord Giveth

**Disclaimer: I've been holding this for a while. This story was made over the course of finishing Returning Home and some of Falling to Peices and Let Me Go. Please R/R!**

Waking up to the annoying sound of the alarm clock, a twenty seven year old brunette slammed her fist down on the clock, mumbling darkly about her husband.

_He makes love to you and forgets to turn off the alarm clock in the morning_, she thought. She looked over to the other side of the bed to see that the space was empty and sighed. Grogily getting out of bed, she clothed herself, thankful that he had had the desency to close the door. She walked out into the hall and down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. Stopping at the door, she couldn't help but smile at the beautiful sight before her. Not that him cooking was something she hadn't seen before, he did cook from time to time, but it was who he was with that made the moment absolutely adorable. In one hand he held a spatula, flipping pancakes and humming to what sounded like "Weasley is our King". In his other hand, however, was their two year old daughter, Lorel. As he moved around the room, he would bounce her up and down on his hip, singing little excerpts and kissing her little nose, causing her to squeal with laughter and clap her hands. Her fiery curls would bounce around her small face as he sant. It was an absolutely perfect picture. Father and daugher. She grinned.

"The eggs are burning," she remarked, finally entering. Ron turned around and smiled. Lorel gave her mother a wave before turning back to her father and trying to coax him to sing again. Hermione walked over to him and gave him a kiss before turning to her daughter and holding out her arms. Lorel shook her head and said no, pulling herself closer to her smirking red headed father. Hermione pouted.

"No love for mummy," she complained, sticking out a lip. Ron leaned in again and kissed her down her jaw bone.

"I've got plenty love for mummy," he whispered in her ear, grinning cheekily. Hermione's eyes grew and she smacked his arm, taking Lorel from him.

"Come on honey. You don't want to listen to your father," she said, placing the child in her chair before looking around.

"Where's Triniti?" she asked.

"Right here, mummy," came the four year old's tired answer. Hermione smiled and watched the girl crawl into her seat. Ron set out some food and then sat himself between Lorel and Triniti. Lorel only liked being fed by her father, seeing as her appetite matched his in every aspect. Though Triniti was more calm, they were both their father's children. Ron looked up from his food.

"So what are we doing today?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.

"Nothing until we go over to the Burrow," she responded, grimacing slight at the large amount of food Lorel stuffed into her mouth. Ron chuckled at her expression and patted his daughter on the back.

"I told you she was going to be a eater," he said, smirking. Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her own food.

As soon as everyone was done, Hermione cleaned the dishes while Ron helped with getting the girls ready. Turning around she gasped.

"Oh Ron," she sighed. Standing at the door was all three of them, dressed in Chudely Cannon t-shirts and jeans. Hermione had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Ron smiled.

"I think we look great," he said. Hermione started to giggle, walking over and fixing Triniti's pony tail.

"You all look adorable," she giggled. Ron smirked.

"Good, because you're wearing one also," he said, pulling out another t-shirt. Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"Oh no..." she said, backing out of the kitchen, Ron advancing on her. "I'm not wearing that!" She let out a shriek and darted up the stairs, Ron racing after her. She ran into the bedroom and tried to slam the door, but Ron got through, grabbing her and throwing her uncerimoniously onto the bed. He pinned her down with his body, straddling her waist.

"RON!" she squealed, trying to get free. "I'm not wearing that!"

"Oh yes you are," he growled, leaning in and nipping her neck, making her groan as he pressed himself to her.

"Ron," she moaned, grabbing his arms as his hands began to tease her sides with searching fingers. The t-shirt was completely forgotten now, Ron to busy dealing with Hermione's neck, the two started to have fun. His hands came up and began to unbutton the pajama shirt she had thrown on. Hermione smiled, loving the feel of Ron's body against hers. She leaned her head to the side, allowing him better access to her neck when she stopped, eyes wide.

"Ron... we have company," she whispered. Ron raised his head and turned to see Fred, George and Harry standing there, huge grins on their faces. Fred turned to Harry.

"Harry, weren't you saying that _yesterday_ was their aniversary. Why are they still celebrating?" he asked. Harry's grin grew as he shrugged.

"I don't know... maybe we should ask them?" Ron got up and went over to the door, slamming it in their smirking faces. He turned around to see Hermione laughing on the bed.

"What are you laughing about?" he grumbled, annoyed by the interference. Hermione just smiled, walking over to him and giving him a kiss before she strolled over to the bathroom.

"I'm still not wearing the shirt," she said over her shoulder.

* * *

Ron came down stairs to see his brothers and brother-in-law playing around with his daughters. He rolled his eyes, snatching Lorel out of George's hands. The little girl squealed at the sight of her father. 

"Daddy!" she giggled as he rubbed his face in her stomach. Ron held her to his side as he looked at the other occupants in the room.

"Did you_ really_ have to come up stairs?" he asked, his cheeks growing red. Fred smiled.

"No, but we figured, if the kids are down here alone then you two must be upstairs doing something inappropriate," he sniggered, earning him a pillow in the head. Lorel let out peels of laughter, clapping her hands.

"Do it again!" she squealed. Harry grinned.

"She's definetly your daughter Ron," he remarked.

"Well, don't forget who gave birth to her," Hermione said coming down the stairs, a bright orange t-shirt gracing her body. Ron grinned.

"Nice shirt," he said casually. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I couldn't find anything else to wear," she mumbled, giving each man a hug before she turned to Harry.

"What's going on?" she asked. Harry grin grew as she pointed to Fred and George.

"Angelina and Alicia kicked them out," he sniggered. Fred raised his hand to feel the small bump at the back of his head.

"Hormones," he muttered. Hermione smiled.

"Well, just think. Once the babies are born you'll have one more loving bundle," she said. George rolled his eyes.

"Until then it's mood swings and 'do I look fat in this?' What the hell type of a question is that? She's pregnant with twins!" Hermione walked over to the anxious twin.

"George, she's going to ask that question weather you like it or not and all you're going to have to say is 'you look absolutely beautiful,' whether you want to or not. Because if you don't, she'll probably cut you off all together." There was a silence in which all of the men shifted nervously. Fred held up his hand.

"What does that mean?" he asked. Hermione picked up Triniti and began to leave the room.

"Let's just say that handshakes are probably all the action you'll get for a _very_ long time," she said with a smug grin.

**A/N: Here you go! R/R!!! I said before that Let Me Go was for venting. It will not be updated as often. I promise though, as soon as I get to a different computer, Falling to Pieces will have a major update. Right now, I present to you, The Lord's Judgement**


	2. Threat

**Disclaimer: I'm really bored.**

"Hermione!" Ron called, coming in after work one day. He and Hermione had gotten into a fight the night before and she hadn't spoken to him that morning. He was slightly anxious, not knowing how much she'd calmed down.

"In here," she responded from the kitchen. Walking over, Ron couldn't help but smile at Hermione's dress. Once again, she was wearing a Chudley Cannon's jeresy, though this time it was much longer than the shirt and covered more. But not that much more. She wasn't wearing anything else as far as Ron could see.

"The kids awake?" he asked, watching her move with interest. Hermione didn't bother turning around.

"Even if they were, you're not getting any," she retorted, placing the rest of the dishes in the cupboard.

"I'm sorry about last night," he apologized. Hermione still didn't answer. She then turned around and smiled as Ron's eyes roved over her legs. She walked over to him and kissed him, long and hard, pressing herself against him firmly before pulling away and going up the stairs. Ron groaned.

"Hermione... you can't do that to a bloke without expecting to get-"

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "You know how Triniti is. She'll hear a word you say and repeat it in front of the whole family." Ron grinned.

"Even more of a reason for us to go into our _private_ room," he whispered. Hermione rolled her eyes and walked int their bedroom.

"Hermione," Ron whimpered following her, watching her backside as she bent down to pick up some clothes. She turned to catch him staring.

"Ron, stop looking at me like that," she said. She carried the clothes into the bathroom and slamming the door in his face. He listened as the shower came on and grinned. Taking out his wand he flicked it at the door and was greeted with the click of the lock. He carefully opened the door and was surprise to see that it wasn't the shower that had been turned on but the tub. It was full now and Hermione was sitting there, surrounded by bubbles. Ron walked over an kneeled down beside the tub.

"I really am sorry," he whispered. Hermione turned her head to him and looked into his eyes. She gave him a small smile.

"I know," she replied. She reached up and touched his nose, leaving some bubbles there. Ron smirked and leaned in, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. As they kissed, Ron managed to get into the tub and straddle her, making her squeak.

"Ron! You still have on your robes," she whispered, glancing over at the door. Ron rolled his eyes and grabbed his wand, flicking it at the door. The door slid shut with a soft click. Hermione smiled as Ron kissed her again, deep and passionate. Hermione groaned in pleasure as Ron's hands ran over her naked body, sending shockwaves up her spine. She brought her hands down to his Auror pin and undid it, shoving the robes off his shoulders. Ron quickly threw the dripping articles onto the bathroom floor and then pulled off his shirt before attacking Hermione's mouth again. Soon his dripping clothes lay in a mound on the floor as he pulled her under the bubbles, both grinning.

* * *

Hermione walked into her office, muttering something about Gildory Lockhart and a fork. Sitting down, she began to fill out some forms occasionally glancing at the clock. She sighed. She still had two more hours before Harry rescued her. They were going to have lunch together. Hermione looked around her desk and spotted a picture that made her smile. It was her wedding day. Ron and her were standing by Hogwarts' lake, holding each other and looking at the camera, waving. Ron's head then ducked to Hermione's lips and soon the two were lost in their own dreamworld. Hermione couldn't stop the tear that fell as she watched. They had worked so hard to reach that point. The war. Ron had almost died. He had been hospitalized for seven months with no chance of survival. They had been dating then. Hermione turned back to her work, not wanting to think about what that time had been like. 

"Mrs. Weasley." Hermione looked up to see Rachel, an intern, poking her head in. Hermione smiled.

"What is it?" she asked politely.

"You've got a visitor," she responded. Hermione sighed.

"Rachel, you know I don't take anyone without an appointment at this time," she said. Rachel bit her lip.

"I know, but the man said it was important that he talked to you." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Send him in," she said. Rachel nodded and disappeared for a few seconds. She then appeared with a man Hermione had never seen before. She frowned as the man took a seat and Rachel left.

"Rachel said it was important," Hermione ground out, taking her seat opposite him. The man handed her an envelope then stood. Hermione frowned.

"Is that it?" she asked skepitcally. The man nodded and left. Feeling very put out, Hermione looked down at the note and opened it. Reading the note, she paled.

* * *

"Harry!" Hermione called, running into the Auror department. Harry looked over from talking to a fellow Auror and waved. However, upon taking in her distraught state, he said a hasty goodbye to the man and then hurried over to her. 

"What? What happened?" He asked anxiously. Hermione looked as if she had been crying.

"I don't know! There's this note that said that the kids were in danger and that Ron was hurt and..." she began to babble incoherently, her speech going to fast for Harry to understand. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her into his office, not wanting to draw to much attention. He sat her down and kneeled down in front of her.

"Hermione slow down, I can't understand you! What happened to the kids?" he asked. Hermione's hands went into the air.

"Nothing! I checked on them and their fine! But I can't find Ron and I-"

"Hermione!" Hermione shut her mouth, tears flowing. Harry took a deep breath.

"First of all. You need to calm down. You're not doing anyone any good if you keep rambling like that. Second of all, Ron's find. He's out on a short mission with two other guys. He should be arriving any minute now," Harry explained.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, her voice smaller than what Harry would have liked. Harry smiled and took her hand.

"I'm positive," he responded, giving her a kiss on her forehead, before standing up. "Now, about that note?" he asked, leaning on his desk. Hermione dug into her pocket and handed him the note. Harry looked over it, his eyes darkening with every word.

"What type of wanker would write this?" he asked in disgust. Hermione stood up and walked over to him.

"I don't know. It was in so much detail. The discription of Triniti! Of Lorel. I was so scared!"

"Who gave it to you?" Harry demanded. Shocked by the sudden change in his mood, she took a moment to think.

"Some man..."

"Did you get a good look at him?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"Of course. He wasn't wearing anything that would hide his face. He looked like a regular patient, though he did say it was important and then just handed this to me and left."

"Can you-"

"Harry," said a woman, who had just poked her head in the door. "Moody needs to see you." Harry nodded and the woman left. He pocketed the letter and then took Hermione's hand, leading her out and off towards Moony's office. They entered.

"Potter! There you are!" Alastor Moody barked, standing up. He then noticed Hermione. "What are you doing with Weasley's wife?" he asked. Harry rolled his eyes.

"What is it?" he asked. Moody glanced pointedly over at Hermione.

"This is classified information," he said.

"And Hermione's done her fair share to earn a right to hear what ever you have to say, Moody." Hermione and Harry turned to see Ron leaning against the door post with a smirk on his face. Hermione's eyes got large and she launched herself at him, burrying her face in the crook of his neck. Confused, Ron looked up at Harry.

"Did someone die?" he asked. Moody stood.

"One day your mouth's going to get you into some trouble, Weasley," he growled.

"Just tell us what's going on," was Ron's response.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. Moody's magical eye roved around the room, while his other eye focused on them.

"There's been a suicide. Some prat decided to take a jump off St. Mungos." Hermione gasped.

"Really?" she asked. She backed up into Ron after Moody fixed her with a glare.

"We already cleaned him up and everything, but the guy's a deatheater. Or at least he was until just recently," Moody said, handing the men a picture.

"Harry! That's him! That's the man who gave me the note!" Hermione exclaimed, pointing at the picture in Ron's hand. Ron looked down at her.

"Note, what note?" Harry took out the letter and handed it to Ron. The red head read over it and then looked up, pale.

"What the hell?"

**A/N: Here you Go!**


	3. The Lord's Grace pt 1

**Disclaimer: R/R!!!**

Harry sat down next to Hermione as they watched Ron pace in front of Harry's fireplace. Ron was still trying to figure out why someone would give Hermione such a note, while Harry was trying to calm Hermione down. So far, only Harry had succeeded in his mission.

"Ron please! It doesn't matter!" Hermione begged, hating to see her husband worry himself about it.

"Yeah mate. The guy's dead. It's not like you're going to get answers," Harry added. Ron looked over at them and then sighed.

"I know, it just... Who's to say this guy didn't have a buddy?"

"Ron stop it!" Hermione suddenly yelled, tired of hearing the two talk about the letter. She got off the couch and walked over to Ron. "Stop talking about this. I think we've all just had a very stressful day and all we need to do is calm down and forget this ever happened, ok. Now no more talk about it!" she said before storming into Harry's kitchen, slamming the door behind her. Harry and Ron looked at each other and Harry shrugged, pointing at his friend.

"She's _your_ wife."

* * *

"And you're sure you're ok?" Ginny asked, a concered look on her face. Hermione waved her hand in annoyance as the two women walked down the street. 

"Of course I'm sure, so stop asking," she snapped. Ginny stopped walking, shocked at Hermione's sharp tone. Hermione stopped and turned to look at her and then closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just really tired. I didn't get much sleep last night and Ron's been bugging me all morning about the letter. I really don't want to talk about it, Ginny," she said. Ginny walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, let's go get a table before the cafe fills," she suggested. Hermione smiled and nodded, following Ginny to a quaint little cafe near the Ministry. It was owned by a wizarding family that had lived there for ages and Ginny had discovered it when she first started working at the Ministry. She had asked Hermione to meet her there for lunch. Today had been Hermione's day off, so after visiting her office, she opted for going to lunch.

The two found a seat and ordered. Hermione then looked up at Ginny.

"So what about you? How are you handling the boy?" she asked, eyes shining. Ginny rolled her eyes, slightly bemused by Hermione's sudden change in attitude.

"I feel outnumbered. Caden is so much like Harry it isn't even funny. Both stubborn little arses," she muttered.

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped. Ginny sipped her tea, rolling her eyes.

"Oh please, Hermione. I love the two to death, but when Caden wants something, he automatically knows his father will love the idea! Those two team up against me all the time! At least you have two girls," she replied. Hermione grinned.

"Yeah right. Lorel is hooked to Ron. Though Triniti is more independent, she's also like Ron."

"Well, maybe when you have more kids, there will be more of a balance," Ginny responded. Hermione laughed.

"Ron wants nine kids, but after I reminded him of who would be carrying the kids, he lowered it down to a Quiddich team," Hermione said with a smirk. Ginny bursted out laughing.

"Oh Hermione! You know how much Ron wants a big family."

"What about Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny sobered up slightly, her eyes clouding.

"Well... you know Harry... I think he's just happy he _has_ a family right now without having to think about having more," she murmured. Hermione reached over and took Ginny's hand.

"Harry will warm up to the idea once you mention it again. I think he's just anxious right now because he's thinking about his own parents," she said. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah... I'll try to bring it up tonight..." she whispered. Her eyes then got brighter. "But until then, let's check out that shop I saw on our way here!" Hermione laughed and the two started eating their food. Hermione smiled to herself, her heart racing as she thought about what would happen tonight.

* * *

Ron grinned as he entered the kitchen of the Grangers. Mrs. Granger looked up and smiled. 

"Are you here for the kids?" she asked, setting aside the paper she was reading. Ron nodded. She pointed to the window.

"Their outside with Luke. They've been out there for hours, playing on that tire swing and in the sand box," she said. Ron smiled as he sat down across from the woman.

"How are you?" he asked. She got up and put the kettle on the stove.

"I'm doing great actually. Tea?" Ron nodded.

"Yes please," he answered. As she made the tea, she glanced over at him with a small smile on her aging face.

"Hermione stopped by earlier," she said casually. Ron perked up.

"Did she? What for?" he asked. Mrs. Granger placed the cup in front of him and sat down.

"She said you two were trying to have another child," she said, taking a long sip of her tea, watching Ron's reaction over the rim of her cup. Ron spit out his tea and gaped.

"She said what?" he asked, grabbing a napkin and wiping up the mess he had made. Mrs. Granger smiled, puting her tea down.

"That's what she told me," she said.

"Well, she failed to tell me that," he mumbled. Before Mrs. Granger could say anything, Lorel and Triniti came rushing in, their grandfather trailing behind laughing.

"DADDY!" the two squealed and launched themselves at their father. Ron grinned and bent down, picking them both up.

"How are my girls?" he asked, giving them both kisses, which made them both giggle. Ron nodded to Mr. Granger, who nodded back with a grin.

"Those girls are quite a handful Ron," he said, taking the offered cup of tea. Ron chuckled.

"Well, I hope they weren't to much trouble," he said, setting the girls down. Mr. Granger shook his head.

"Oh no, they were perfect." Before Mr. Granger could say anymore, Ron interupted him, his mind back to what his mother-in-law had just said to him.

"Thank you for taking care of them today, but I have to go... straighten this whole 'trying to have another baby' thing," he muttered, taking Lorel in his arms and Trinity by the hand and heading for the fireplace. Mr. Granger followed them and gave the two girls a kiss goodbye and then watched as a very confused Ron disappeared in a burst of green flames.

* * *

"Hermione," Ron called as he let go of Triniti's hand. She ran into the kitchen, where Ron followed carrying Lorel, who had now fallen asleep. Hermione smiled at them as she set her tea down. She gave Triniti a kiss and then went over to Ron only to find him giving her a very curious stare. She frowned. 

"What?" she asked. Ron shook his head.

"Triniti, get ready for bed," he ordered. After giving her a kiss goodnight, she ran to her room. Ron walked off, laying Lorel down in her small bed and tucking her in, not bothering to change her clothes. She'd just wake up and stay awake for hours. Exiting the girl's room, he walked into their bedroom, followed by Hermione. Hermione watched him move around, shifting through drawers trying to find the words to say.

"Ron-"

"Since when are we trying to have another child?" Ron asked rather rudely. He hadn't meant for it to come out that way, it's just, he didn't know what else _to_ say. Hermione however, didn't take it as bad as he thought she would. If fact, she started grinning. She walked over to him, and set down the pair of socks he was fiddling with.

"Who told you I said that?" she asked amused. Ron wasn't amused.

"Your mother said that you said that we were trying to have another child," Ron stressed. Hermione's smile got bigger as her eyes got brighter.

"Well..." she said, turning away from him and walking over towards the bed. She paused. "Those weren't my _exact_ words." Ron frowned.

"What? What did you tell them?" he asked, obviously still confused. She bit her lip and turned around, looking straight into his eyes.

"I told my parents that we were pregnant," she whispered. A deafening silence took over the room as Ron stood there stunned. His mind had completely stopped, her words echoing but they didn't seem to come in clearly. Ron shook his head.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked. Hermione smiled as she placed her hands on her stomach.

"I'm pregnant Ron," she murmured, watching intently for the initial shock to wear off. It didn't take long. Suddenly there was a loud whoop and Hermione was hoisted into the air, twirled around by a very excited Ron. Screaming by the sudden levitation, Hermione begged to be let down. Ron gently set her down, their bodies flush against one another. Ron took her face in his hands, a goofy grin on his lips and an insanely giddy look in his eyes. He leaned his forehead against hers, laughing.

"We're pregnant!" he gasped. By now, tears were flowing down her face as she nodded.

"We are! I went to work this morning to use some potions to make sure and I found out. I immediately went over to my parents and then had lunch with Ginny," she explained, her eyes closing as Ron began to kiss her face, whispering sweet graces to her. He pulled away however at the mention of his sister.

"Ginny knows?" He didn't mind that Hermione had run to her parents to tell them, but the fact that she had told his sister before him was a little much. Hermione shook her head.

"Surprisingly know. I was able to keep it under wraps while we chatted, though I thought she'd suspect," she said with a grin. Ron pulled her into a bonecrunching hug.

"We're pregnant!" he said again, loving the sound of it. Hermione laughed. That's when she found herself thrown on the bed, Ron straddling her, his lips attached to her neck as his hands quickly began to undo her robes. Grinning, Hermione eagerly began to unbutton his shirt. His lips suddenly crashed upon hers in an excited passion.

"How far along are you?" he asked. Hermione moaned as his hands found home in their journey up her skirt.

"It seems our little escapade in the bathroom paid off," she murmured breathlessly. Her arms tightened around his neck as her back arched in pleasure, his hands sending wonderful sensations spiraling down her spine.

"We have to think of a name," he mumbled against her lips. Hermione nibbled on his lip, causing him to moan as she moved closer, pulling on his ear playfully.

"Names," she whispered.

"What?"

"We have to think of more than one name," she moaned, his hands massaging her inner thighs. Ron pulled away, the confusion was back. Hermione kissed his lips gently before moving up to his ear.

"We're having triplets, Ron," she said, gasping as Ron's grip on her tightened. He looked down at her.

"Really?" he asked, shocked and breathless. Hermione nodded smiling. Ron grinned and kissed her passionately.

"I love you," he whispered.

**A/N: SQUEEEE THEY'RE PREGNANT! AGAIN! OH WOW! I'm so happy write now!**


	4. The Lord's Grace pt 2

**Disclaimer: This is very unusual for me. I usual just do stories by wing. This one I've actually started before posting any of it.**

The room was still as the sun began to peek over the horizon, casting gentle rays across the floor of the bedroom and the bed, where two figures lay. Clothes laid scattered on the floor, secretly telling the rising star of last nights exploits. In the other rooms, two little girls lay peacefully, their red hair shining as the sun made it's way into their room as well.

Ron woke to the shifting body next to him. He looked over to find himself staring at a naked back. Suddenly the events of last night came rushing back to him with such a force that his breath caught and he had to take a few calming breaths before observing the sleeping figure beside him. He rolled over on his side and peeked over her shoulder, amazed at what he saw. She looked absolutely brilliant. Her long brown hair covered the pillow and spilled over her face in soft curls. Most of her small body was covered by the sheets, but she had one arm over the covers, revealing bare sunkissed skin. A beautifully small smile graced her lips as she shifted slightly, murmuring something in her deep sleep. Ron felt his heart swell at the sight of her, her confession last night adding to his giddiness.

_We're pregnant._

Those words rang through his mind like a pleasure he couldn't describe. He wanted to hear her say it again, yet he didn't want to wake her from what ever dream she was having. She looked too peaceful.

Reaching under the covers, he slid his hand over her stomach, kissing her shoulder.

"My babies," he whispered. He felt her move and then her small hand came over his larger one. She remained still. Ron's eyes grew brighter as he leaned in and kissed her neck reverently.

"Hey..." Ron jerked at the sound of Hermione's sleepy voice. He looked down to see her opening her eyes, turning her head to look up at him with a small, yet amazing smile. Ron's grin grew bigger and he leaned in, his lips capturing hers in a painstakingly slow, but loving kiss. Pulling away breathless, Hermione reached up and brushed some of his aurbun hair out of the way, gazing into his brilliant blue eyes. They sat there for a while, just enjoying each others warmth and the satisfaction of knowing that there was life present. Hermione then turned her head to the window and sighed. Ron leaned in and started kissing her neck.

"Did you imagine it would be like this?" she asked quietly, watching the sun rise slowly. Ron pulled away slightly.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"I mean when we were in school and _weren't_ dating... did you ever think we'd make it this far? Married with two beautiful kids and three more on the way?" she explained. Ron rested his head on the crook of her neck, kissing her skin as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"In all honesty... no..." he mumbled into her skin. He then pulled away and looked down at her with a smile.

"But I'm glad it happened anyway," he whispered. She smiled up at him.

"Me too..." Hermione whispered, kissing him gently. Ron pulled her closer, loving the feel of her. Hermione moaned as he shifted around so that he was on top of her, his arms pulling her closer. Ron dipped his head to her neck, sucking and kissing her skin. Her breathing became shorter as she started to whimper. He leaned into her ear.

"Tell me again," he ordered, pressing impossibly closer to her. She gasped, her arms tightening around him as she gave out a small cry.

"We're pregnant..."

* * *

Telling the girls had not been as hard as Hermione had thought it would be. Triniti of course, was old enough to fully understand the concept of mom having a baby. With Lorel, it took a bit of embarrassment on Ron's part and much explaing on Hermione's for her to actually realize that there were three little people inside of mommy. However, when Triniti got all excited and began to yell and jump and clap her hands in jubilee, Lorel also got excited and soon the house was full of two very happy children. 

Since it was a Saturday, the family spent the whole day goofing off. First going to a muggle zoo, in which Ron accidently started comparing the birds of prey to hippogriffs which ended up having the family close by move off with very concerned looks and a very harsh glare from Hermione. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the park. The family then headed over to the Burrow for the regular Saturday night Weasley Get Together.

Arriving at the active house, Ron had to do his best not to grin like an idiot, while Hermione had to wipe the tell tale glow from her face. Molly Weasley was like a baby moniter and could easily spot pregnancy, so as long as Hermione avoided Molly until the two were ready to announce the big news, they were safe from the matriarch's loud mouth. The plan worked well. Hermione sat farther away from Molly than usual whiched caused some suspicion until Hermione said that she hadn't seen Angelina and Alicia in a long time and was dying to speak with them. The _whole_ Weasley family retired to the large family room, the kids on the floor around the fireplace. Hermione and Ron were whispering with each other quite intensely that it soon caught the attention of many of the occupants in the room.

"What _are_ you two bickering about?" Molly asked curiously. Hermione gave Ron a pointed look before turning to her mother-in-law.

"Nothing," she said. Ron, however, decided that now was the time.

"_Actually_, mum. There is something we'd like to tell all of you," he said standing up. Hermione stood up with him. The family room became quiet, save for the whispering in the corner by the small kids. Ron took a deep breath.

"Triniti. Could you come here for a moment?" he called to his daughter. The small girl got up and ran over to her father in excitement. Ron kneeled down and smiled.

"Can you tell the family what's going on with mummy?" he asked. The girl nodded eagerly. She then stepped over to her mother and pointed to Hermione's stomach.

"Mummy's pre... pregn..." she frowned and looked up at her mother for the right word. The rest of the family however, had gotten the point and Ginny let out a shriek.

"Hermione! You're pregnant!" she squealed. Hermione's face broke out in a large smile as did Ron's as the family started to congradulate them. Molly pulled Ron into a huge bear hug.

"Oh Ronniekens! You're going to have another baby!" she gushed. Triniti wasn't about to be ignored however. She stamped her foot down.

"Not just one! Three!" she shouted. There was instant silence as they all stared at the little girl and then at Ron and Hermione. Fred and George were the first to speak.

"Three," they choked out, stunned. Hermione nodded.

"I checked yesterday morning and we're having triplets!" she exclaimed. The women all started giggling and crowded around Hermione, begging for details. Hermione glanced over at Ron and they smiled at each other before being swept up into the zealous crowd known as the Weasleys.

**A/N: Short, but I think it get's the job done. I'll try to put some angst/mysterious thing in the next chapter to spice it up.**


	5. The Lord Taketh

**Disclaimer: I don't know... just read it! Then review!**

Ron and Hermione were woken up by the high pitched squeals of their daughters who jumped on their bed and began to bounce around, pounding on legs and pulling up sheets.

"Grandma and Grandpa!" they chanted as they jumped. Ron opened his eyes in annoyance and reached out, grabbing Lorel right out of the air, which earned him and Hermione another two octaves of high toned gales of laughter as he pulled the little girl under the covers and started tickling her. Triniti continued to bounce until Hermione finally came to full consiousness.

"Triniti, honey please. No bouncing on the bed. Mummy doesn't feel so go-" Hermione begging was cut short by the familiar feeling in her stomach. Throwing back her covers, she sped to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Sighing, Ron got up, letting go of Lorel and walked over to the bathroom. Opening the door, he kneeled down to Hermione's heaving form and rubbed her back as she emptied her stomach into the toilet. He pulled her hair back with one hand as she continued to throw up. Shivering, Hermione flushed the toilet and sat down. Ron pulled her into a hug as she closed her eyes.

"I'm so sick of this," she said. Ron reached down and rubbed the little bump that was her stomach.

"Well, just think, in a few months, it'll be over," he said.

"Mummy?" Lorel and Triniti appeared at the door, gazing with wide eyes at their mother who was still shaking, her hair plastered to her forehead with sweat. Ron watched them come over and rub their mom's back in comfort.

"Are the babies not hungry, mummy?" Lorel asked. Ron bit his lip to keep from smiling, but couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping. Hermione looked over at her daughter and smiled at her innocence.

"I guess so," she said wearily. Ron pulled her closer, kissing her head.

* * *

"You look like shit," Harry commented when he entered Ron's office. Ron didn't bother looking up from his paperwork. 

"I don't want to hear it Potter," he growled, scribbling something on a memo. Harry sat down across from his friend and watched him for a while.

"Hermione ok?" he asked. Ron snorted.

"She's throwing up every morning, how would you feel?" he retorted. Harry smirked.

"Just weeks ago you acted like you'd just one the jackpot," he said. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Yeah well, It's been two years since I last won the jackpot. I forgot that to _get_ the jackpot, you have to go through hell," he remarked.

"It's not that bad. Just be thankful Hermione's not so aggressive," Harry responded. Ron looked up at him.

"The last time you said that, I ended up spending the night at St. Mungos because Hermione got hold of her wand before I could get out the door," he muttered darkly, touching his head tenderly, grimacing at the memory. Harry paused for a moment, trying to recall the memory and then he smiled.

"Oh yeah," he said. Ron sighed.

"She wants to go for a walk after I come home from work... A walk?" he muttered. Harry stood and patted his friend on the back before going to exit.

"Well, at least she didn't say 'we have to talk about our priorities.'" He offered.

"Get out," Ron said. Harry grinned and closed the door behind him, leaving his friend to mumble to himself.

* * *

"This is nice," Hermione commented as they walked down the sidewalk. They had left the icecream parlor and were heading back home. Hermione had insisted that she was ok and that she wanted to walk back to the house as well. Ron had reluctantly agreed. 

"I guess," he mumbled, looking up at the sky. The moon poked out through some clouds as the stars twinkled. Hermione glanced over at him then took his hand, pulling him closer. Ron looked down at their clasped hands then continued to walk, watching as the street grew more deserted as they entered the residential part of the town. Though it had been hard, the couple had managed to find a house in a wizarding section. It wasn't as big as the Burrow, but it would do. The path to the house was covered with trees and bushes. Hermione had been hesitant to by the place but after Ron promised to fix it up, she agreed and he had done a beautiful job.

"Where are the girls?" Ron asked.

"They should be sleeping now," was her response. Ron nodded as they continued up the path. He then froze. Hermione frowned.

"What?"

"Shh!" He pulled her closer to him as he glanced around the woods, drawing his wand. Scared, Hermione drew her wand as well, looking around trying to find the invisible threat that had Ron all riled up.

"Something's not right," he whispered.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the woods. A shadowed figure darted behind a tree. Ron pointed his wand at the person.

"Come out!" he ordered. Realizing that he had been noticed, the figure broke away from it's cover and sprinted off.

"Ron, he's heading towards the house!" Hermione whimpered. Ron broke off into a full blown run, eyes on the figure. Hermione cried out for him and then started to follow. Emerging from the path to the frontyard of their house, Ron lost sight of the perpetrator. He looked around. The house light Hermione had left on was still on. Hermione caught up with him, gasping for air. Turning to her, he took her arm.

"Hermione you shouldn't be doing that." She waved him off.

"Excersise is good for me," she wheezed, looking up. "Where'd the guy go?" Ron shrugged, looking around.

"I don't know..." he said. She straightened up and started for the door, worry etched on her face.

"Well, I'm going to check on the girls."

"I'll look around," he said, walking off towards the backyard. Hermione disappeared into the house. Rounding the house, he stepped over small toys and headed for the broom shed. Opening it up, he lit his wand and looked around but found nothing. Sighing, he continued to look around the yard until he hit woods.

"LET GO OF ME! RON!" came Hermione's peircing cry. Ron took off for the front of the house and then skidded to a stop, eyes wide. On the front yard stood ten deatheaters. Two had hold of Hermione, who was struggling, her arm bleeding. Two others were holding on to his daughters, who were crying. Ron raised his wand.

"What's going on?" he asked in a deceptivly calm voice. His mind was racing, sizing up the situation and searching for avenues in which death of a loved one was not an outcome. One deatheater stepped forward.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley. You've been charged with the murder of Lucius Malfoy."

"WHAT?" Ron yelped. The deatheater repeated himself.

"You've been charged with the murder of Lucius Malfoy," he said. Ron's mind went back to the last battle. He remembered. He looked up.

"What do you want with my family?" he asked. The deatheater motioned to his daughters and then to his wife.

"You have a choice to make. Either you chose your wife and those three things inside her _or_ you can chose those two adorable daughters..." Hermione's eye went wide and met with Ron's.

_How did he know about the triplets?_

She started to struggle again.

"NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" she screamed. Ron just stood there, frozen, the deatheaters words running through his mind.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice hoarse. The deatheater finally removed his mask. "Draco Malfoy..." Ron muttered. The blonde grinned.

"At your service. Now, you must hurry, I haven't got all night."

"You can't make me chose!" Ron screamed, his heart tightening painfully in his chest.

"That's not an answer," was Malfoy's curt reply.

"Your father deserved to die!" Ron yelled. Malfoy stiffened, his eyes narrowing.

"My father is the reason you're in this mess Weasley so I suggest you tread lighly."

"You're an asshole!" Malfoy shrugged.

"Tick tock! Tick tock, Weasley. Time is everything. Now, decide!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with evil delight. Ron shook his head, pointing his wand at Malfoy. Hermione could see the pain in his eyes.

"NO!" he screamed. A smile appeared on Malfoy's lips.

"Well then... we'll just have to lower the choices shall we?" he said. Hermione's eyes bulged at what he had said. Ron stood stock still.

"What?" Malfoy turned to the deatheater holding Triniti and nodded. The deatheater took out his wand.

"NO!" Hermione screamed, trying desperately to reach her crying confused daughter, tears streaming down her face. There was a flash of green light and the little girl's lifeless body fell to the ground. In that moment, time stood still. Ron's heart stopped as he saw Triniti's small hand hit the ground, pale. Suddenly her whole life flashed before his eyes. Her birth. Her first step. First word. The first time he ever held her. Her birthday's. Everything... and now... she was gone... Hermione's cries of anguish and heartache came back into focus as reality once again came crashing back into his life.

"NO! YOU BASTARDS! NO!" he screamed, falling to his knees. Lorel started crying louder. Malfoy's smile grew, but it never met his emotionless eyes.

"Now, now, Weasley. You still have four more... that is if you start chosing. I asure you, I know spells that will pinpoint life and destroy it without affecting that thing you call a wife," he sneered. Ron remained on the ground, silent tears running down his face. Hermione's eyes remained on her fallen daughter, silently pleading that this was all a horrific dream. A dream that all of a sudden got much worse.

"CHOOSE WEASLEY!" Malfoy ordered, growing increasingly annoyed. Ron looked up and his eyes met with Hermione's. Her heart broke in that one moment. She saw his helplessness. His fear. And his utter ruin. She looked down and then around, searching for something. Then she saw it. Her wand. It was lying on the ground, ignored. Her eyes then met Ron's again. He could tell what she was thinking and shook his head slightly. She bit her lip, tears cascading down her dirty face.

_I'm sorry_, she mouthed. Then she did it. Twisting around she slammed down with her foot and then lashed out with her arm, hurting one man's foot and catching the other's eye. Released, she dove for her wand. From that point onward, things seemed to move in slow motion for Ron. He remembered screaming her name. Malfoy's shouts. Flashes of light. Three bodies hiting the ground, the sound of a broken wand and then a loud explosion. He remembered the pain of being blown back and hitting something. He remembered the flames and then the merciful darkness that overcame him. Then he remembered no more...

**A/N: ...**


	6. Ron's Promise

**Disclaimer: ****It's so curious; one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses. -Colette  
**

"Look," Ginny whispered. The family turned to the bed to see Ron stirring. Opening his eyes he looked around confused.

"Ron-"

"Was it a dream?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth. Everyone glanced at each other uneasily and then back at Ron. Ginny shook her head.

"Ron-"

"Where's Hermione?"

"Ron you need to calm down," A Healer advised, popping up at the side of his bed and trying to check his pulse. He pulled away from the woman, glaring at her.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! I just saw my daughter die! Now WHERE THE HELL IS HERMIONE?!!" he yelled. He looked around wildly, searching everyone's faces for answers. Harry stepped forward, his eyes bearing unhappy news.

"Ron... Hermione wasn't there when we arrived..." A heavy silence fell upon them when Ron's face went completely emotionless. Shoving the Healer away he got out of bed and pushed his way past objecting family members and opened the door.

"Ron wait! You're not well!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"Let go of me!" he screamed at the Healers, taking a threatening step towards them. They backed off, not wanting to cause more stress to him. He started off staggering down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, trying to catch up.

"To find Hermione!"

"DADDY!" Ron froze the sound of the scared voice. Little Lorel came stumbling up to him on her small feet, grabbed hold of his leg and continued to cry. Her head had a huge bandage on it and her legs and arms were scratched. Ron just stared at her for a moment then completely broke down on the ground. Sitting down crosslegged on the floor, he put his hands in his head and just cried. Lorel tugged on his arm and he grabbed her, pulling her into a feirce hug and the two just cried.

The Weasleys and the Grangers just watched, their hearts all twisting painfully as they watched Ron sob. The head Healer, a greying man in his fifties shook his head sadly.

"No man should have to watch his kid die..."

* * *

Ron carried the small child into a room Mrs. Weasley had prepared for them. Ron hadn't wanted to go back to his house. Laying her down, he tucked her in, sitting at the edge of the bed as she slept. The moonlight reflected off of her red hair as she slept peacefully. The Healers had given her a dreamless sleep potion. Ron had refused to take one, for reasons no one could figure out. Her little shirt was still blood stained, but Ron was to drained to change it. It hurt just to look at her. Her bandage. Her face. She looked so much like her sister. 

_Triniti_, he thought. There was a painful pang in his heart at the thought of his eldest daughter. He closed his eyes, his mind going back to the events only a few hours earlier. Hermione's screams. Triniti's cries and Lorel's begging for her sister to wake up. Then the laughter. The malicious laughter of Draco Lucius Malfoy. Ron's fingers curled into a fist as his hatred for the man grew inside of him. The deep loathing and desire for the man's blood overcame him in a passionate lust for the man's blood. Gasping, Ron looked over at his sleeping daughter. His mind wandered back to the words of the Aurors. They had said something about some curse that had happened. The reason for Hermione's disappearance as well as the disappearance of all the other deatheaters, including Malfoy. They had said that she might still be alive. Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to do it. He had to. Looking back down at Lorel he leaned over and kissed her.

"I promise I'll find your mother. I prormise I'll get Malfoy for what he's done," he whispered. He smoothed back the hair from his daughter's face watching as she breathed. Getting up he walked to the door and looked upon his daughter one last time. "And I promise I will return to you..."

**A/N: ...**


	7. He's Coming Home

**Disclaimer: Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it. -Michel de Montaigne**

"Is he coming back tomorrow?" nine year old Lorel Weasley asked her Uncle Harry as the two walked down the wintery streets of Hogsmeade. Harry looked down at his neice and frowned.

"I don't know. He didn't say," he answered. Lorel sighed. For the past seven years, her father had been searching Europe for her mother. He only came back home at Christmas and even then... he wasn't the same. His eyes were always dark and emotionless, as well as his personality. It seemed as if the life had gone out of him and his only will to live was his daughter and that small hope that Hermione might actually be alive. Lorel looked up at her uncle. Harry hadn't been the same either. He had lost both of his friends that day. Though the emotional scars were not as visible as Ron's, they were still evident sometimes when certian things were said. Memory joggers that would put him in a state of withdraw and isolation for days. Lorel however, suffered the most from Ron's absense. With her father gone and no mother to take care of her, she was constantly staying at a relative's house. Not that she minded, she just wished she could see her father more than just in those two weeks Ron actually appeared.

Harry noticed her sigh and the sad look in her eyes and stopped. He turned to her and kneeled down in front of her.

"Look Lorel. You know Ron loves you, right?" he asked with a frown. She nodded.

"I know..." she said. He touched the girl's face.

"Then smile for me. You should be happy," he said. She gave him a small smile and he smiled back, getting up and starting to walk again.

"Can I buy a gift for him?" Lorel asked. Harry nodded.

"Of course."

* * *

Ginny looked up from her magazine to see Harry and Lorel come in with several shopping bags. Smiling, she got up off the couch and headed over to them along with her three boys, Sirius, Timothy and Caden. Lorel gave her aunt a hug before she walked off to her room with her bags in silence. Ginny gave Harry a quizical look. Harry shook his head. 

"She's been asking about Ron again," he explained. Ginny sighed.

"She misses him," she said. He nodded.

"I really hope he _is_ coming back tomorrow," Harry mumbled as he sat down next to her on the couch. The boys went right back to playing chess, Timothy, being only four, was too young to play so he just watched.

Meanwhile, in her room, Lorel took out the gift she had picked for her father and placed it on the bed in front of her. It was a chain with a small knight and horse on it. He had destroyed the one Hermione had given him on their first Christmas as a married couple. The first Christmas after he had started _looking_ for Hermione, he had found it. Unfortunately, he wasn't exactly sober at the time and, having tried to drink away the awful memories, he had thrown the chain into the flames. By the time the rest of the family got back, he was sitting by the flames, crying and pointing at what was left of the beautiful memory. Lorel had finally decided that he needed a new one. On the bottom of the small figure were the initials R.B.W. and H.J.W. Lorel had paid extra for it, refusing her uncle's offering to supply the money. Wiping the tears that had welled in her eyes, she picked up the chain and placed it in a little box. Placing the box on her nightstand, she pulled out the other presents and began to wrap them.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_

Looking up, Lorel grinned and ran over to the window to let in the small owl.

"Hello Pig!" she greeted, snatching the exhausted bird out of the air. Giving Pig some treats she found in her nightstand drawer, she took the letter from his leg and opened it eagerly.

_Dear Lorel,_

_No doubt you're wondering if I'm coming tomorrow and the answer is yes, just I'll be getting there quite early, so I'll be spending at the Burrow. I hope you're being good for Harry and Ginny. And I hope everyone on your end is well, including yourself. _

_I miss you so much Lorel. I think about you everyday and I never stop loving you, just so you know. Remember that. Obviously, I don't get to tell you everyday, but I do. Your mother would be proud of you. I know I am._

_Oh, before I forget, tell Harry that you will be spending Christmas at the Burrow, so that he knows. So pack some stuff. I'll see you tomorrow._

_Love,_

_Your Father_

Lorel touched the letter, her eyes re-reading the familiar scrawl of her dad. He was coming home again. She looked up at Pig.

_Would this year be the year he finally decided to stop searching?_

**A/N: Now there's a question!**


	8. Ron's Escape

**Disclaimer: ...**

"Come on!" Lorel whined jumping up and down nervously. Harry smiled.

"Ron's not going anywhere, Lorel," he said. She shot him a look and Harry held up his hands, leaning down and helping Timothy with his coat. _She's starting to act like Hermione more and more_, he thought. Ginny just smiled and after she finished putting on her coat, she turned to Harry.

"You ready?" she asked. Rolling his eyes, he nodded and the family left.

* * *

"DAD!" Lorel yelled when she spotted him in the kitchen. She ran over to him and grabbed him into a hug. Ron smiled and held on to her. Taking a step back he looked her over. 

"Wow! You've grown up since I last saw you," he commented. Lorel grinned.

"Dad, you always say that!" she responded. Ron couldn't help but smile at her. Taking her hand, he led her outside where it was snowing and quiet. The snow was glistening as the morning sun cast gentle rays upon it. The two headed over to the swing set and sat down, enjoying the calm. Ron looked over at her.

"You pack clothes for the two weeks?" he asked. She nodded. There was a brief silence in which Lorel worked up the courage to ask the question she asked every year. She looked up at Ron. His eyes were dark and haunted. He looked older than she remembered.

"Did you-"

"No," came his sharp reply, his eyes trained on the frozen lake ahead. Lorel bit her lip and looked down at her lap.

"I'm sorry dad," she said.

"For what?"

"For not being able to find mum," she replied softly. Ron shook his head.

"It's not your fault..." A silence overcame them once, as that night exploded into Ron's memory. The nightmare he'd been having ever since he'd left her that night was still as much a horrifying reality now as it had been the night it happened. Finally, Ron decided to speak.

"How was it at Harry's?" he asked. Thankful for the shift in gears, Lorel started to speak again, telling her father about all her memories of that year.

* * *

Harry pulled away from the back window and looked over at Mrs. Weasley. 

"When did he get here?" he asked. Molly looked up and smiled

"Quite early actually. Four o'clock."

"Did he say anything about finding something?" Ginny asked, setting down her tea. Molly's smile faded and she turned back to her cooking.

"No... just like every time. He doesn't say a thing about his trip," she answered. Harry shrugged.

"Well, you know what they say. No news is good news."

"Yeah, and we've been getting seven years of 'no news'," retorted Fred as he entered the kitchen with Nicole, his six year old, by the hand. She spotted Ginny, squealed and ran over to her aunt. Ginny looked up at Fred.

"You aren't being fair, Fred. Ron's been through-"

"A lot I know! That doesn't mean he has to spend the rest of his life and Lorel's life searching for her! You heard the Healers _and_ the Aurors. They both said there was a slight chance she might _actually_ be alive! A slight chance? Is Ron going to waste away like that just because of a slight chance? Dammit, he hasn't even left Europe yet. What happens when he gets some bright idea that she might be in some other continent? What then? He'll spend the rest of his life out there, looking for her!" There was a silence in which everyone just stared at Fred. He had never actually voiced his opinion on Ron's searching for Hermione. He, like George and Charlie, had just kept quiet about the whole thing. Of course, he was right in a way. Would Ron actually spend the rest of his life looking for her? Would he leave Lorel behind to fulfil a promise made seven years ago?

"Here we are!" came the flowing voice of Fleur as she flounced in, carrying some bags. Five children came running in after her and begged their grandmother if they could go play out in the front yard. After shooing them off, Molly turned to Fleur and took the bags, placing them on the counter before turning to her eldest son.

"How are you?" she asked. Bill shrugged.

"Tired. Just got back from Egypt yesterday. Is Ron back?" he asked. Molly sighed and pointed out the back door.

"But don't bother him right now. He's with Lorel," she told them. Bill nodded and took a seat at the table beside Ginny, accepting the tea she offered. Fleur walked over to the back door and peeked out the window, smiling.

"They look adorable," she gushed in her French accent. Harry glanced over at Fred, who had reverted back to his quiet state, swishing around the contents of his butterbeer bottle before drinking. Harry sighed. It was going to be a very interesting Christmas.

Not that other one's hadn't been interesting. Two Christmas' back, Ron hadn't been in the happiest of moods. This incident started out with the words, 'he was drinking to much anyway' and ended with the words, 'needless to say, he had to pay for half of the damage to the vending machine'. _Don't ask._ Though everyone was always happy to see Ron, especially Lorel, he never really got into the whole thing. The only reason he was there was not because of Lorel, but because Harry had threatened him into coming back at least one time a year. Lorel just reminded Ron so much of Hermione that he tried to stay away as much as possible. Drinking was his only escape from the happy memories that flooded into his mind and caused him grief.

**A/N: This is it!**


	9. Giving Up

**Disclaimer: My mother always told me to let go and let God. I think that that was one of the best advice she's ever given me.**

It didn't take long for everyone to notice Ron's mounting aggression towards all others except Harry, in whom, he seemed to be avoiding lately. Harry had been the only one to voice his opinions of Ron leaving and there for ever since then there had been an underlying tension that continued to build every time the two met. Ron, however, seemed to be treading lightly around the raven head, careful to avoid certain conversations or out right just ducking out of a room when Harry entered. It wasn't that he was afraid of Harry. He was afraid of the truth Harry would spew out at him when the two finally did talk about Ron's long search.

As for Ron's aggression? There was a source.

Lorel.

He seemed so intent on dismissing her likeness of Hermione that he took out his frustration on everyone else. Though he had not yet discovered the fire whiskey Mr. Weasley had hid upon hearing that his son was to arrive, no one was about to take the chance of the steaming red head to explode.

Currently, Ron was sitting in the family room by himself, glaring into the flames. The rest of the family, of course, was doing their best to avoid him.

"Dad?" came the timid voice of his daughter. Ron finally looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Lorel. What's wrong?" he asked upon seeing her pensive expression. She sat down next to him and observed his face and bit her lip.

"You didn't find anything did you." It was more of a statement than a question and it took Ron completely of guard. She had never actually approached him about his search. He frowned and looked back into the fire, running his hands through his hair.

"I don't know what to do… I promised you-"

"Uncle Harry says that you're killing yourself," she interrupted in a determined fashion. He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Did he now?" he asked, slightly amused and more pissed off. Lorel saw the look in her father's eyes and touched his arm.

"How long are you going to keep looking Dad?" she asked softly. She felt Ron stiffen and he looked away, his eyes dancing in the firelight. It seemed like an eternity before he answered. When he did, it scared her. His voice was small. He sounded defeated.

"Maybe the Healers were right… and she really is…" he trailed off, leaving the words to hang between them like an evil omen. Lorel hated seeing her dad like this. It was worse than seeing him drunk and in pain. And that in itself was heartbreaking to watch. She pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees, gazing into the fire.

"Maybe…" she paused and looked at her father. "Someone told me that if put it all in God's hand then he will do the rest… maybe we just have to leave it up to God?" There was a long silence and then Ron stood up and gave her a kiss.

"Then I suggest you start praying," he whispered.

* * *

Ron walked down the streets of Diagon Ally stiffly with Harry at his side. Both men weren't in the talking mood, so they just walked around, poking in and out of different stores, searching for gifts. Harry could see out of the corner of his eye, Ron trying to strike up the nerve to speak to him. Growing frustrated with Ron's silence, he stopped and turned to his friend.

"What is it, Ron?" he snapped. Ron froze for a moment then he looked off down the street.

"Lorel told me that you told her that I was killing myself," he muttered darkly. Harry paused in slight shock and then shook his head and glared at Ron.

"Well, you are!" He exclaimed and started walking again. "You've been gone for seven freaking years searching for her, Ron. Seven years! Dammit, Ron. What about Lorel? I mean, I know it's hard to look at her without seeing Hermione, but have you realized that in two years she's going to be gone! She has two more years before Hogwarts! And then what? Seven years of school and then she'll be on her own and you would never have been there! She needs you, Ron. No matter if you promised her. That was _seven years_ ago, ok." Harry ran his hands through his unruly hair. "I miss her too Ron," he murmured, his voice all of a sudden smaller. "But there comes a time where you just have to let go… not for your sake but for everyone else's," he whispered to him, glancing around the street.

Ron just stood there, soaking in all of the information Harry had just released. The sad thing was, he knew Harry was right, but didn't want to admit it and Harry could see it in his eyes. That struggle in his heart to keep the idea that Hermione was still alive. It broke Harry's heart to still see Ron like this. He really was killing himself, by slowly isolating himself from the horrifying reality in which he still did not want to face. Harry didn't want to see the day when reality took a sharp turn and smashed Ron in the face. It would be his ruin.

"Ron, I-"

"I've got to go," Ron muttered, heading off down the way. Harry groaned inwardly.

"Ron, no!" He called, grabbing the man's arm. Ron wrenched himself from Harry's grip, glaring at him.

"You sound like my mum," he sneered in disgust.

"Ron, think about Lorel," Harry snapped. Ron froze for a moment, his eyes clouding over. Then his head jerked and a pained look passed over his eyes.

"Triniti…" he gasped, his chest heaving from lack of oxygen. Harry's eyes widened, but before he could do anything, Ron disapparated.

* * *

"What do you mean 'you lost him'?" Molly shrieked. Harry ducked behind his wife, who was glaring at him also.

"What the bloody hell did you say to him?" Ginny demanded.

"Ginny! Language," Molly scolded. Ginny rolled her eyes, her attention on her husband. Harry looked around and then sighed.

"He said something about Triniti and then disapparated," he repeated. Arthur sighed.

"We'd better find him before he hurts himself and before Lorel finds out," he said. As if on queue, a crack sounded in the back yard followed by the crashing of garbage bins and some very loud, _very_ colorful language. There was another bang and some more swearing before Ron staggered into the house, clutching a rather large bottle of what appeared to be butterbeer, though the liquid was more of a dark amber and judging by Ron's disheveled appearance and his language, it was probably firewhiskey, if he hadn't chosen something stronger. He paused for a moment and stared at them through glazed, indifferent eyes, raised his bottle in salute and then headed for the stairs. That's when Lorel decided to show up, bounding down the stairs with her cousins. The five of them stopped upon spotting Ron and just stared at him. He looked down at them blankly and Lorel's demeanor changed immediately. Her eyes began to well up and she looked over at the rest of the family.

"He's drunk isn't he?" she cried. They nodded silently. She turned to him, glaring through her tears.

"Why do you do this?!" she screamed. He winced slightly and then began to stumble past her when her anger grew and she shoved him. For a girl her size, she was able to floor him, though when drunk, Ron wasn't exactly in the best of sorts. The thing was it took a lot of alcohol to get him drunk. A _lot_ of alcohol, but once drunk, he was dangerous to himself as well as people around him. He looked up at her and glared.

"Whas ze ideu?" he slurred, struggling to his feet. Fleur ran over, standing between the girl and her father.

"I zink zat you should go upstairs," she stated. He shoved her unceremoniously out of the way, grabbing hold of Lorel's arm in a vice like grip. She grimaced and started to wiggle to get free.

"Ron! Let her go!" Ginny screamed. Ignoring his sister, Ron shook Lorel. The whole family started forward to stop him.

"Donth eva do zat again," he managed. What happened next went so fast, they hardly had time to react. She kicked him in the shins and he fell to his knees. He released her and she was about to run, when he grabbed her by the ankle. She screamed as she fell forward and was yanked back. Ron raised his hand.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Bill shouted. Ron was blasted back and slammed into the wall, sliding to the ground, crumpled and unconscious. Harry ran over to Lorel, who was still on the ground, sobbing. He tried to help her up, but she pushed his hand away and stumbled to her feet. She then ran out the back door and disappeared into the snow. Silence reigned over the Weasley kitchen as all eyes fell on Ron's pitiful figure.

**A/N: Ron's let himself go...**

**charma10: **Thank you! I do do thing left field don't I... Well, when it comes to Potter, nothing is impossible!

**Wesker888:** Please don't shoot the screen:O jk, but seriously, I don't do that often. Just when everyone knows I've had tons of time... like a holiday and I update 12 chapters on a certian story...

**Dany Granger Weasley:** He does deserve that, but knowing me, it'll be much harder than he expected... if he ever finds Hermione...

**Lady 77:** I think at this point he's run out of hope...

**Cynthia Cacciola:** I'm glad you liked this one!

**No Chapter Tease... sorry. But you have 12 updated chapters from Falling to Pieces that you could read while waiting!**


	10. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: God is my strength...**

It seemed like days since the incident, but in all reality it was only two day later when Ron came down from his room. Lorel had not come down from hers yet, convinced that if she did, he'd hit her. Though he didn't know exactly what had happened, it didn't take him long to figure it out, especially when Fleur scolded him on his atrocious behavior.

"Dammit, Fleur. Sod off," he snapped, holding his head in pain. "Don't you think I feel bad already," he muttered, his guilt filling him. Bill frowned.

"Hey Ron. I think all she's trying to say is that you need to stop drinking all that alcohol. You're always doing something stupid," he said. Ron pushed back his chair and stood up.

"Perhaps I was drunk the day Hermione disappeared," he grumbled.

"RON!" Molly scolded.

"Oh _shove off_," Ron groaned. "I'm tired of all of you telling me I act like a complete arse every time I come here!"

"You do!" Ginny said. Ron shot her a dirty look.

"Well then, maybe I shouldn't come back. Then we'd all just be happy wouldn't we," he hissed. Molly stood and approached her son.

"Ron… maybe you should just stop looking… It's been seven years. You can't keep beating yourself up about it. It wasn't your fault," she whispered to him. Ron stared at the ground, eyes glazed.

"I promised I'd never let anything happen to her," he mumbled. He looked out the window. "I'm not even a good father…" Ginny shook her head.

"Ron, you're a great dad!" she exclaimed. Ron snorted.

"A good father, am I? Wasn't I the one who staggered in here the other day and had to be knocked out just so I wouldn't hit my own daughter?" he asked bitterly. When no one answered, Ron moved to the family room.

"Maybe it would have been better if I just hadn't come," he whispered.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked that night after she came in from putting the kids to bed. Harry was sitting at the edge of the bed, eyes on the floor. She crawled over the bed and sat down beside him, holding his eyes. He shook his head.

"That could have easily been me…" he looked up at her. "Seven years ago. That could have been us…" Ginny's eyes watered and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't… don't think like that…" she begged. He buried his face in her hair.

"I don't know what I would do if I lost you," he mumbled into her hair. "I don't want to end up like him…" They pulled away from one another and Ginny wiped her eyes.

"He's never recovered, has he? He blames himself for everything. Hermione's disappearance and Triniti's death." Harry nodded. He looked over at his wife and remembered the conversation he had with Ron before he disappeared.

"He doesn't want to admit to the fact that she might actually be dead," he muttered. Ginny turned to him and frowned.

"Do _you_ believe she's dead?" she asked cautiously. Harry gave her a weird look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I'm just saying. If you're going tell Ron to let go, you shouldn't be the hypocrite and not let go yourself," she murmured. Harry stood up.

"I let go five years ago, Ginny. I let go when I realized _I'd_ be the one taking care of her! Dammit, Ginny! I see Hermione every time I look at Lorel and that's the _only_ reason Ron stays away from here as much as possible." Ginny hated seeing Harry beat himself up about this.

"Harry," Ginny said. He whirled on her.

"It's true! He can't stand looking at her because he feels responsible… drinking is just a way to get rid of that false guilt," he whispered. Ginny stood up and touched his face.

"Are you sure there's no false guilt lurking around in here?" she asked, her hand resting on his heart. Harry was quiet for a while as he took Ginny's hand in his. He looked up into her eyes and then turned and left the room. Ginny closed her eyes and sat back down on the bed. This was her life…

* * *

Morning rush hour in that part of the city, like the rest of the city, was absolutely horrible. As a photographer though, there was no rush. The sights of New York City were amazing in itself. Thirty-three year old Colin Creevy was early, so he stopped at a café and grabbed a coffee before heading off for a photo shoot with some muggle girls. It wasn't that he didn't use witches as well, but he had been hired by a muggle who had viewed his work. The still photos, of course. The models this time were women who had been offered the chance from all over the country. The women ranged from many ages and but all were very beautiful, or so he was told. He hadn't had a chance to see pictures of these women yet. The magazine he was shooting for wizarding and muggle and was supposed to show how women who weren't stars could look beautiful as well. Colin had immediately accepted.

"There you are! I was getting worried you wouldn't show up!" Henry Nederfield shrieked, striding up to Colin. He towered over Colin, his long frame accented by his wild red hair and high cheek bones. He was an eccentric man who had worked with several people in the past, firing all of them because the photos didn't come out right.

"Well, I'm here, so where do I set up?" Colin asked, not wishing to point out that he was ten minutes early. Henry pointed to the photo area and the backdrop.

"There. I'll go get the women," he said, prancing off in high form. Colin shook his head and began to set up his equipment. Colin picked up his best camera and waited. Soon, about ten women entered the room, all in about the sexiest swimsuits he had ever seen in his life. Henry came in with another tall woman who sat in one of the seats. Henry walked over to Colin.

"There are two more models that will be shooting alone," he said. Colin nodded and started his work. He loved his job. Finally when he was finished, he turned to Henry.

"I'm done," he said. Henry nodded and turned to the woman beside him.

"Go get Charlie and Lisa," he ordered. The woman nodded and disappeared into the room with the other women. Colin bent down and got a different camera. Cleaning his camera, he didn't notice that the two people had entered and were waiting. Bringing his camera up to his eye, he stood and turned to them. He froze, his camera dropping to the floor.

"Oh my God…"

**A/N: I love cliffhangers.**

**-47SydneyVaughn74-:** Putting faith in God is always the best way to go!

**Dany Granger Weasley: **I think you don't have to worry...

**Wesker888:** Yes... he is falling apart isn't he? Hopefully he'll get back on his feet soon.

**Cynthia Cacciola:** I'm glad you like it so much!

**No Chapter Tease, I think you guys can use your imaginations.**


	11. Urgent News

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

"Hermione!" He cried, staring at her. The woman looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I'm sorry, who?" she asked, a hint of a British accent in her voice. She looked absolutely beautiful though perhaps the fact that she was wearing sexy lingerie had something to do with it. Her hair was much shorter, like she had cut it, but she looked the same. Just a tad bit older. He couldn't believe it was her.

"Hermione Granger… well, Weasley, but that doesn't matter, it's you!" he exclaimed approaching her. She glanced over at Henry and then at Colin. Her face was etched with fear of him.

"I don't know who this Hermione bird is, but I'm telling you right now, my name is Lisa. So get it right," she snapped. Henry bounded over, frowning.

"What's wrong? Why don't I hear the sound of the camera?" he asked. Colin turned to Henry.

"Wrong? This is Hermione Weasley! That's what's bloody wrong!" he exclaimed pointing to Hermione. Hermione, or rather Lisa, put her hands on her hips, glaring at Colin.

"Why do you keep calling me Hermione? I'm called Lisa," she asked, severely annoyed. Colin turned to her.

"Because you are…" suddenly something hit him. Her attitude. The fact that she kept referring to herself as Lisa. He gave her a cautious look.

"Do… do you know who I am?" he asked.

"You're going to be fired if you don't take some pictures," Henry barked, glaring at Colin. Colin shook his head, his eyes on Lisa. She gave him a curious look and turned back to the other man who was waiting patiently. She walked over to him and shrugged. Colin picked up his camera and began to take pictures, his mind racing. He had to get back to England as fast as he could.

* * *

Molly looked up from her cooking to see Harry come in. She smiled and pointed at an owl.

"This owl came in last night," she said. "I think it's for you." He frowned.

"Then why didn't it just come over to our place?" he asked, going over to the bird. The thing held out its leg and Harry took the letter. Reading it he frowned.

"It's from Colin Creevy. He needs to come over today," he said. Ginny came in and smiled.

"Colin! Oh I haven't seen him in ages. I heard he got married in the Caribbean to some model," she exclaimed excitedly. Harry however, didn't seem too excited. He examined the letter carefully.

"He seems to really want to see us," he mumbled. Just then there was some swearing and Ron appeared, holding his head in pain. Molly frowned at him.

"Ronald! How many times do I have to tell you to stop swearing in this house!" she scolded. Ron shot her a look that said he didn't want to hear it and sat down at the table. It had been six days since the incident and Lorel still hadn't talked to him. She would purposely walk out of the room and ignore him. At first it didn't seem to bother him, seeing as he didn't seem to want to be in her company anyway, but after a while, he was growing agitated at her behavior. Harry handed Ron the letter.

"It's from Colin Creevy," he said. Ron looked over the letter and shrugged.

"Ok," he grumbled, forking some food into his mouth. Ginny wrinkled her nose at him and looked away.

"It's a beautiful day outside," she commented, watching the snow fall. Ron snorted.

"Whatever," he mumbled. Ginny shot him a dirty look, but Harry just ignored the two. Soon, there was a crack in the living room and everyone got up. Colin Creevy came rushing in, eyes wide. There was a file in his hand.

"There's something you need to see," he gasped. Ron rolled his eyes.

"If it's pictures of your models again, Creevy, I swear-"

"Shut up!" Colin snapped, taking out photos. "Dammit Ron, you've been like this ever since I came here last. Of course it's of models, but I _really_ think you want to see these," he said. Ron glared at him but looked down at the pictures Colin set down on the coffee table. Ginny gasped and grabbed them.

"Colin… these… these…" she stuttered. Colin nodded.

"They're of Hermione," he whispered. Ron snatched the pictures out of Ginny's hands and stared at them frantically. He froze at the first one.

_Hermione…_

She was posing with some other guy in lingerie. Her hair was shorter, but other than that she looked exactly the same. She would turn slightly then look off camera and laugh. Ron's heart clenched painfully in his chest and he looked up at Colin, his eyes watering.

"Where did you get these?" he asked quietly, his throat tightening. Colin looked at the rest of the photos.

"New York. She was at a photo shoot with some other women."

"And you didn't bring her back!" Harry growled dangerously, turning to Colin. The man stepped back.

"That's the thing. I tried to talk to her and she looked at me as if she'd never seen me before. She doesn't remember who I am and she refers to herself as Lisa. Lisa Blakes. Henry didn't exactly let me talk to her much after I practically scared her to death with my questions," he explained. Ron looked back down at the pictures and then dropped them to the floor and headed for the stairs.

"Pack your bags, we're going to New York," he said.

**A/N: Off to the U.S. of A!**

**Cynthia Cacciola:** Here you go!

**Dany Granger Weasley:** Hugs right back at you!

**Wesker888:** Well, not Ron... but yeah, they found Hermione. 


	12. The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

**Disclaimer: I think this is an interesting Chapter.**

It didn't take long before Ron was walking down the streets of New York City, Colin at the lead. Lorel had been left in the care of a very confused Molly Weasley, who after getting all the information, promised not to tell Lorel about the reason of Ron's early departure. Not that Lorel really cared.

"Come on, Colin," Ron growled, growing extremely anxious. The freezing cold of New York wasn't helping either. It had been snowing hard ever since they had arrived at their hotel. Colin stopped in front of a building and pointed to it.

"This is it. The modeling agency. But you have to be careful, it's a muggle place so asking for Hermione Weasley won't get you anywhere," he whispered. Harry pulled out a picture.

"We came prepared," he said. Colin nodded and entered, Ginny following after with Ron and Harry at the back. Colin walked up to the receptionist, a woman in her mid twenties. She was quite pretty with long black hair and dark ebony skin. She was talking adamantly on what Ron guessed to be a phone. He'd seen one at Hermione's parent's house often. The woman put the phone down and began scribbling something down. She then looked up at the group and smiled.

"Welcome to Nederfield's Modeling Agency! How can I help you?" she asked in a friendly voice. Colin smiled.

"Hi. We're actually looking for someone… you wouldn't have happened to have seen her?"

"What's the name sir?" the lady asked, looking between the three men with mild interest.

"Lisa. Lisa Blakes," Colin responded. The woman's eyes brightened considerably.

"Lisa! Of course I know Lisa. She's my roommate. Are you friends of hers?" the woman asked cheerfully. Ron slammed his fist on the desk.

"You know where she lives?" he demanded harshly. The woman looked surprised at Ron's attitude and bit her lip. She straightened in her chair. Her eyes narrowed

"First of all, buddy," she said coldly. "I am not allowed to give you private information unless you can prove that you have an intimate connection with the person you're searching for. Otherwise, I suggest you leave," she stated. Ginny took hold of her brother's arm and pulled him back slightly, turning him to her.

"Calm down, Ron. Acting aggressive isn't going to get us anywhere," she whispered before turning to the lady at the table. She glanced down at the woman's nametag.

"Listen… Brandy," she said nicely. "We're Herm… I mean Lisa's family." She glanced over at Ron. "We've been looking for her for seven years and we'd really like to see her." Brandy's face grew pensive for a moment then she looked around at them.

"You… You know who Lisa is?" she asked. It seemed like a strange question, but Ginny knew what she was talking about. She nodded.

"Yes," she said, turning to Harry. She took the picture from him and handed it to Brandy. Brandy took the picture and gasped. It was of her friend. Only she was much younger and was surrounded by what seemed to be the younger version of the woman standing before her and the two men. The red haired one and the raven head. They were all smiling. She looked up at them.

"This isn't photo shopped is it?" she asked suspiciously. Ginny and Ron frowned. Even Harry looked slightly mused but Colin shook his head.

"No, it's not photo shopped," he said. Ron looked around at the people passing by in the lobby.

"Well, can you tell us?" he asked impatiently. Brandy still seemed slightly unconvinced. She looked around then down at the computer before her.

"Lisa's not at home. Actually, she should be leaving right now," she muttered. As if on cue, the elevator near by opened and two people stepped out. One was the man Lisa had been photographed with and the other was Lisa. She was talking to the man and laughing. She was wearing a jeans and a long coat. Her hair was covered by a hat she had put on while exiting the elevator. She was holding gloves in her hand. She and the man stopped and he whispered something to her which made her roll her eyes and smile. She then said something which made the man jump and suddenly sprint towards the revolving doors.

"I'll see you later Lisa," he shouted as he exited the building. She laughed and headed over towards the receptionist desk. She stopped however upon seeing Colin.

"Oh no," she groaned. Brandy popped up before anyone could make a move. Not that they could move. They were so fixated on just seeing her that they couldn't. Ron's mind had gone completely blank. It was as if he had gone back in time and was seeing her for the first time again. She looked beautiful, even in her agitated state. Brandy ran over to Lisa.

"Lisa! These people say they know who you are," she said, pointing to the group. Lisa frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Brandy shook her arm.

"They might be the thing you've been missing. You know… I mean you have no idea who you are. I think they might be able to help you. Look at this," she said shoving the picture in Lisa's hand. Lisa looked down at the photo. She stiffened and her eyes began to water. She looked up at the group.

"Where did you get this?" she asked. There was a long silence. Colin however seemed to be the first to recover from this shock and moved closer to her. He looked around.

"Perhaps this isn't the best place to talk about this," he said. Ron finally shook himself out of it.

"Hermione…" he whispered. Her eyes snapped to his. It was like an explosion. Sparks from her eyes connected with his and they held, Lisa in confusion and Ron in a passion he hadn't felt in a long time. Lisa finally blinked and tore away from his gaze, her cheeks reddening slightly. She squared her shoulders.

"Why do you keep calling me Hermione?" she asked, annoyed. Ginny, noticing that the situation could get worse, especially with Ron in a not so stable state, stepped forward.

"Colin's right. We should find a place much more private," she said. Lisa looked them over with complete distrust. She glanced over at Brandy and then shrugged and started for the door.

"I have to go pick up the girls first," she said over her shoulder. Brandy however, stopped the group from following her out the door.

"I think it would be better if we got going. You can come over to our place," she said, her eyes flickering to Ron. "Lisa will meet us later."

* * *

Seeing as they couldn't use magic, it took them a whole our, using the subway, to get to the house Lisa and Brandy shared. Brandy opened the door and let them in. Ron's eyes instantly fell on the floor, which was littered with balls and other chew toys. There was an occasional doll, but other than that it seemed like toys for animals. Ginny stopped at a photo and pointed. It was of Hermione and Brandy, smiling. Ginny glanced between Harry and Ron before continuing to follow Brandy to the family room. As they sat down, Colin looked around.

"Do you own a cat?" he asked. Brandy rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Not me. Lisa. She has four cats," she said. She sat down in a chair and looked over the small, uncomfortable group.

"How do you know Lisa?" she asked. Ginny looked between the men then at Brandy.

"Well, none of us are actually _related_ to her, as in by blood," she said. "Colin's actually just a friend. We are to, but…" she trailed off, her eyes falling on Ron, who seemed to be purposely ignoring the conversation. His mind was on the look Hermione had given him before she had walked off. That utter look of disinterest and distrust. What else had changed about her?

"You are what?" Brandy asked curiously. Ginny opened her mouth to say something but the sudden sound of the door opening stopped her. Suddenly the house was filled with the noise of girls. Two small girls came bounding into the room, their bright red hair filled with snow. They ran over to Brandy, not noticing the other occupants of the room.

"Brandy! You should have seen Athena! She got in a fight again!" the smallest one said. The tallest one rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault. They called Artemis a weirdo just because she smarter then everyone else!" the girl defended.

"Girls! Girls! Upstairs now! And Athena, I'll talk to you later," Lisa said entering the family room. She watched as the girls ran out and froze once noticing the people on the couch. She crossed her arms.

"I suggest someone starts talking right now," she said calmly. Harry couldn't help but snort in amusement. She shot him a dirty look.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. Harry shook his head, looking up at her in amazement.

"It's just… It's been seven years… and you haven't changed," he whispered. Lisa frowned, her hand going up to play with the chain around her neck. She looked at them all.

"Why do you keep calling me Hermione?" she asked softly. The sick feeling that had been creeping into Ron's stomach ever since he had seen her was getting stronger.

"You don't recognize us do you?" he asked gently. Her eyes went to his and she shook her head.

"No…" she whispered. That's when he felt his stomach lurch and he jumped up and ran out of the room to the bathroom he had seen on his way here. Lisa watched him leave with concern.

"Oh my! Is he ok?" she asked worriedly. Ginny got up and excused herself. Harry, though extremely pale, had so far managed to keep his stomach under control. He stood.

"What's the last thing you remember?" he asked calmly. She shrugged.

"That last thing I remember is waking up in the hospital with no memory of who I was and this," she said lifting up the chain. Hooked to it was a ring.

"Oh my God." Lisa turned to see Ginny standing there with Ron, her hand to her mouth. Ron just stared at the ring. It was the wedding ring. He walked over to her, his eyes fixed on the ring. He reached up and took it from her. Lisa, however, wasn't comfortable with his close proximity. She gently pulled it out of his grasp and backed away. She seemed slightly intimidated by him. She walked over to Brandy and sat down in the chair beside her, eyes on Ron.

"If you know so much about me then who am I and who are you?" she asked. Ginny sat down as well.

"You're Hermione Jane Granger…" she paused, her eyes flickering to Ron, then back to Lisa.

"And you are?" she asked. Ginny looked around.

"I'm Ginny Potter. This is my husband Harry Potter, our friend Colin Creevy… and this is my brother. Ron Weasley," she said softly.

"And how did I know you all?" Lisa asked.

"We used to go to school together," Harry said. Brandy raised an eyebrow.

"School friends? Oh please! Old school friends don't go searching after old school friends… they leave that up to the family. And as you said before to _me_ you were Lisa's family…" she said. Her eyes drifted over to Ron. "And judging by _one_ of you, I have a very good feeling that there's more to this than you're willing to tell." Lisa looked around and stood up.

"Look… I need cold hard proof," she said. She held her hand up when Colin pointed to the photo on the table. "Now photos are great and all… but that doesn't prove anything. I _know_ you're a photographer, so making photos seem real comes easy to you… I'm sorry for everything, but I need more to trust than just some picture…" With that said, she started for door.

"You have a small birthmark in the shape of a cross on your right shoulder. You were always self conscious of it. You have a scar running from your sternum to the left side of your naval and you have a large cat scratch on your back," Ron said quietly. Lisa stopped at his voice, her back still faced to them. She then turned around and looked at him, a fearful look in her eyes.

"How do you know all that?" she asked shakily. Ron pointed to the ring around her neck.

"I'm the one who gave that to you," he whispered. Lisa's eyes began to water and she began to shake slightly. Ron stood to go over to her, but she held up her hand and motioned for him to stay away. She looked around and then walked quickly over to one of display cupboards. She bent down and opened the wooden door at the bottom and began shifting around.

"Brandy," she called. The woman got up and crossed over to her distraught friend.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Where is it?" Lisa asked frantically.

"Where is what?" Brandy asked. Lisa kept moving things around.

"The paper! The paper I was found with! Where is it?" she demanded, her voice shaking.

"Lisa calm down, dear. You need to calm down."

"NO! I need to find it," she said, getting up and moving over towards the entrance. Ron reached for her.

"Hermione." She pulled away from him, her eyes still filled with distrust.

"Don't touch me…" she said. It wasn't a threat, nor was it out of fear. It was just said. She walked out of the room and ran upstairs. There were several noises and then she came stumbling down the stairs, a paper in her hand. She marched straight up to Ron and shoved it in his hands, putting her hands on her hips.

"Read it," she ordered rudely. He looked at her.

"What?"

"Read it," she said again in annoyance. He looked down at the paper then up at her.

"Hermione, there's nothing there," he whispered.

"Stop calling me Hermione and what do you mean there's nothing there?" she snapped, grabbing the paper out of his hands. She looked down at the paper then up at him as if he was crazy.

"There are words written here," she said, waving the paper in front of him. Harry got up and took the paper. It as blank.

"Look Hermione, there's nothing there-"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" she screeched. She snatched the paper and before anyone could say a thing, she grabbed her coat and stormed out the back door. Colin watched her go then turned to Brandy.

"What was that?" he asked. Brandy shook her head, crossing over to Harry and taking the paper.

"It's not you… ever since she woke up and saw that thing, she's insisted that there was writing on it. She'd go around telling people that there was a message written in a different language. I've never seen anything…" she explained looking down at the blank, cringed page. It was dirty, torn and singed. Yet there was no writing. Harry glanced over at Ron.

_Magic_, he mouthed. Ron didn't seem to be paying attention, his eyes still on the backyard where Lisa was currently out of sight.

"Where'd she go?" he asked. Brandy shook her head.

"You should let her cool off. This has been a hard day for her…" she said. Ginny turned to her.

"Do you believe us?" she asked. Brandy looked at the woman.

"What? That you're her family? I have no doubt about that," she said, her eyes on Ron. "I had a feeling there was an intimate connection between you and Lisa," she said quietly. Ron's eyes were still elsewhere.

"Her name's Hermione," he said.

**A/N: Hopefully, after Hermione's calmed down, they'll be able to explain the whole thing to her... including the magic part!**


	13. Explanations

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

Brandy handed them a cup of hot chocolate and sat down in front of them again. She looked them over and then down at her mug.

"So you and Lisa were married?" she asked quietly. Ron looked up at her then nodded. Brandy's eyes flashed.

"If you loved her so much why the hell did it take seven years for you to find her? New York isn't that big," she asked, her narrowed eyes on Ron. At first they all looked confused and Ron looked outraged. Then suddenly it dawned on them. Seeing as the girl was a muggle, she obviously thought Lisa was a muggle to and therefore thought that she came from New York. How were they going to explain that? Harry sat back.

"Look, Brandy. This whole thing is a lot more complicated than that. There are things about Hermione that even she doesn't know," he said. Brandy turned to him.

"Was Hermione really her name?" she asked. They all nodded. Brandy looked around. "Hermione," she said testing the name. "It's an unusual name… Hermione Jane Granger… Wait. If you two were married wouldn't it be Weasley?" Brandy asked all of a sudden. Ron stiffened. For a moment he looked ready to answer, but instead he got up and walked over to the window, silent. Colin watched him for a minute.

"Ron's been through a lot," Colin said to Brandy. Brandy also had her eye on him.

"She waited for five years for the person who gave her that ring to show up… Five years," Brandy said softly. Ginny shifted.

"Why'd she stop?" she asked.

"Because I couldn't keep waiting for someone who would never come," Lisa answered. They all turned to see her leaning against the door post. She crossed over to Brandy, avoiding Ron. She couldn't put her hand on it, but there was just something about him that intimidated her. Maybe it was the way he looked at her with those artic blue eyes or maybe it was just the tension that mounted every time she was near him. She didn't know and she was pretty sure she didn't want to find out anytime soon. Sitting down, she laced her fingers in front of her and looked at Harry.

"So I'm guessing I'm from England," she said. Harry nodded. Lisa looked over at Ginny and Colin.

"Then how did I end up here?" she asked. There was a silence in which Ron and Harry shared glances. Ginny took Harry's arm.

"We have to tell her," she whispered.

"Tell me what?" Lisa asked, growing impatient. Harry looked over at Ron, who just shrugged. How did one go around with this? He looked over at Brandy.

"We're going to need some privacy," he said. Lisa shook her head, standing up.

"No. Brandy stays here. She's the one person I trust, so I need her here with me," she said. Harry looked at Ginny for help. Ginny bit her lip and then stood as well.

"Look Hermione-"

"Lisa," the woman interrupted harshly. Ginny sighed.

"_Lisa_. There's no other way to say this… You're a witch," she said in a rush. Lisa was silent for a moment then for some strange reason started giggling. Ginny looked slightly indignant.

"What's so funny?" she asked. Lisa shook her head, giggling.

"Nothing… it's just… I thought you had something better to say, that's all." She snorted. "A witch? If I'm a witch then Brandy's a banshee," she said laughing. She rolled her eyes. Ginny frowned.

"It's true. I'm a witch also. Ron, Harry and Colin are wizards." Brandy was laughing also.

"What? Like Merlin? Please! Who let you guys out of the loony bin?" she asked, her shoulders shaking. Lisa walked over to Ginny and took her hands, a mock worried look on her face.

"I'm so sorry, but I think you've come to the wrong home for jokes," she said, trying to stop a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a ride on my broom," she said. Brandy started laughing harder. Colin whipped out a wand and Lisa stepped back, her eyes wide. She then smiled.

"Let me guess. That's your wand?" she said sarcastically. Colin flicked it to the fireplace and flames burst from the dry logs. Lisa and Brandy stumbled back and pulled away into the corner of the room.

"How did you do that?" Brandy asked in fright.

"Like Ginny said. I'm a wizard," he answered. Lisa shook her head, moving away from the wall and walking over to the fireplace and examining it carefully.

"That's a good trick. What'd you use to start the fire?" she asked curiously. Colin shot Harry a hopeless look. Her responses were totally Hermione. Questioning and looking for cold hard facts. Ginny took out her wand. Brandy smiled.

"Look Lisa. They have more of those wands," she said. Ginny flicked her wand over to the teacup and it started to levitate. Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Not that! I've seen better tricks," she said. She was really trying their nerves. Something caught their eye and they turned to see a beautiful Siamese cat come slinking in, eyes on the outsiders. Harry noticed Ron take out his wand and he groaned.

"Ron, no!" he hissed. Lisa noticed the look in Ron's eyes also and frowned.

"What's going-" she never got to finish. Ron flicked his wand over at the cat and it instantly transformed into plate. Lisa screamed and ran over to the small plate on the floor. She picked it up and rounded on Ron.

"What did you do?!" she shrieked. Ron stood his ground.

"You won't believe those things, so I gave you something you've never seen before!" he retorted. She glared at him.

"You bastard, turn him back!" she screamed angrily.

"Why? So you can just laugh it up again!" he yelled back. She looked him up and down with disgust.

"What are you? A freak? Turn him back!" she demanded. He glared at her. The others looked between the two in fright. Seven years later, one memory lost and still they could find something to argue over!

"If I'm a freak then you are too," he hissed. Lisa's eyes grew wide with shock then narrowed. She turned to the others.

"Turn him back," she gritted. Harry backed up.

"Ron, just turn the cat back," he suggested.

"No," was Ron's curt answer. Lisa rounded on him, her short hair frizzing out, her eyes sparking.

"Look you moron. I don't know who taught you to do that, but if you don't turn him back I'll-" Suddenly there was no sound. Her mouth was still moving but no sound came out. She seemed to have noticed for she stopped talking and her hands flew up to her throat. She looked up at Ron and noticed his wand and her eyes grew wide with fright. She stumbled back. Her mouth formed the words 'Oh my God.' Brandy ran over to her then looked at Ron.

"What did you do?" she demanded. Ron shrugged, glaring at Lisa.

"She was getting on my damn nerves," he snapped.

"What's going on?" Everyone turned to see two girls standing at the door, eyes on Lisa. Ron flicked his wand and Lisa gasped. Her frightened eyes were still on Ron.

"Mom," said the small one. Lisa didn't seem to be listening. She was in shock. The small one walked over to her mother and shook her arm.

"Mom!" she said again. Lisa blinked and then looked down at the girl.

"What is it Artemis?" she asked hoarsely.

"We heard screaming," said the taller one. Lisa glanced back at Ron, whose eyes were now on the two girls. She looked at Artemis and tried to smile.

"No… it's fine. Now go back upstairs," she said softly. Artemis smiled and left. The tall one however, Athena, seemed interested in Ron as well, her eyes questioning. She then looked down at her mother then left.

"Where's the other one?" Ron asked. Lisa frowned.

"What other one?" she asked. Ron pointed to the spot where the girls had just been.

"The other one! There were triplets!" he said frantically. Lisa turned to Ron, her hands on her hips.

"Triplets! I never had triplets! I had twins!" she retorted. She ran her hand through her hair. "This can't be happening…"

"Hermione," Ginny whispered, walking over to her. Lisa moved away, shaking her head.

"Witches and wizards don't exist. This is all just a dream," she muttered to herself. Harry looked at her as if she was crazy.

"A dream! We just proved to you what we are and you think it's a dream?" he asked incredulously. Lisa moved over to a seat and sat down, her eyes glazed over in thought. She then looked down at the plate in her hand.

"Turn him back, please," she said softly. Ron flicked his wand and the plate transformed back into a very angry cat. The thing yowled and scampered out at full speed. Lisa put her hand to her mouth. She looked up at Ginny.

"This isn't a dream is it?" she asked hesitantly. Ginny shook her head. Lisa took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I want to know more," she whispered.

* * *

It seemed like hours of explaining before Lisa and Brandy were completely satisfied. Though they didn't exactly get the reason of Lisa's disappearance seeing as Ron had not been willing to give it, Lisa seemed to accept the fact that certain things weren't meant to be said until later. Until she was emotionally ready for that type of load. Harry had done most of the talking, explaining Hogwarts, the last war and the family Lisa didn't know about. As to Lisa's intimate connection with them all, Ron had left the room. After the explanation, Lisa felt horrible. She had said things to the redheaded man that should probably not have been said. She looked up at Harry and Ginny and smiled. 

"So you two are married?" she asked. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Do you have kids?" Lisa asked. Ginny grinned.

"Yeah. Three boys," she answered.

"Did I have kids?" she asked. Ginny opened her mouth to answer then stopped herself when she noticed Ron standing at the door. Lisa looked over at him. "Did we have kids?" she asked softly. Ron nodded.

"Two girls," he answered. Lisa looked down at her hands.

"I can't believe I don't remember…" she whispered. Brandy took her arm.

"But think! Now you can go back to England and go back to your family. You've found what you've looking for, Lisa," she said excitedly. She then grinned.

"Besides. I heard that London's known to have their fair share of good looking guys," she said. Lisa rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You're always thinking about guys," she said. Ginny smiled also.

"Does this mean you're going to come back with us?" she asked. Lisa looked up at Ron. Their eyes connected and Lisa was amazed at what she saw. She saw hopefulness. She saw something else and it made her blush. She looked back at Ginny and nodded.

"I guess so… I'd like to meet my parents," she said. Ron however, still had a few questions.

"What happened to you?" he asked. Lisa looked back at him.

"I… The last thing I remember is waking up in a hospital with no clue as to who I was. They told me I was found with my girls, though I was unconscious. The girls had ID on them as did I." Ginny frowned.

"Wait… The girls were found _after_ they were born… and you don't remember them being born?" she asked. Lisa nodded.

"It was weird. I was told that my name was Lisa Blakes and that I had two girls. Obviously I took them… but the thing is… They told me that there was nothing physically wrong and they couldn't understand why I couldn't remember anything," she explained. Colin suddenly shifted.

"The letter. That blank page you were found with. Give it here," he said, holding out his hands. Lisa frowned.

"It's not blank! There are words on there," she insisted, handing him the parchment. Colin took out his wand and tapped the page, murmuring something. Nothing happened. Harry took it and tapped it with his wand. Still nothing happened. Ginny looked up at Ron.

"We need to get to England."

* * *

Lisa walked close to Brandy when they arrived at the hotel. It was a wizard owned hotel, therefore there was flooing capabilities. Lisa had ordered her daughters to pack quickly and soon she, Brandy and the girls were standing in front of a large fireplace with the others. Lisa looked at Ginny as if she was crazy. 

"You're saying that I have to step into the fireplace?" she asked again. Ginny nodded, stepping in the hearth and holding up her hand that contained the floo powder. Lisa watched cautiously.

"The Burrow, London!" Ginny shouted clearly. Brandy and Lisa yelped as Ginny disappeared in bright green flames.

"What happened?!" Brandy screeched. Harry touched Lisa's arm.

"It's ok. She's fine," he said reassuringly. Lisa didn't look to sure. Ron bit his lip and stepped into the fireplace, holding out his hand.

"You can come with me," he said softly. She looked at the fireplace and then at everyone else.

"I don't know," she said. Brandy gave her a nudge.

"Go on. I'll go after with the girls," she whispered. Lisa looked down at Athena and Artemis, who were gazing at the fireplace with sheer excitement. Sighing, she hesitantly took Ron's hand stepping in the fireplace with him. She glanced up at him and he offered her a smile. Blushing, she looked over to her daughters.

"I'll be on the other side, ok," she said. Ron took a pinch of powder and threw it in the grate.

"The Burrow, London!" he shouted clearly. There was a swift updraft of bright green flames that surrounded them and she scrunched her eyes tight, clinging to Ron's arm.

"Woah!" he said, grabbing her and holding her to his chest before she fell. She held on to him as the dizzy feeling left and her legs stopped wobbling. She tried to steady her breathing. Lisa pulled away from him slightly and looked up at him. He smiled down at him with that damned lopsided grin that made her insides melt.

"You ok?" he asked. She nodded, licking her dry lips. His eyes followed the movement and it made her stomach flutter. Shaking his head, he looked around the empty family room.

"We'd better get out of here before someone hits us," he whispered. He gently led her out of the fireplace and then turned back to the fireplace which had turned green again. Harry appeared with Brandy and the two girls. Artemis ran over to her mother and clung to her tightly, her eyes closed in fright. Harry smiled.

"Don't worry. I had a bad experience when I first rode floo," he said good-naturedly. Lisa glanced over at Ron then looked around the room herself.

"Where are we?" she asked. Ron grinned.

"The Burrow," he said. Brandy frowned, stepping out of the fireplace shakily.

"The Burrow?" she asked. Ron nodded.

"Yep! It's the name of my family's home," he explained.

"RONNIE!" someone squealed. Everyone turned to see Molly Weasley run in and grab hold of her son. Lisa watched as the small plump woman suffocated Ron before pulling away and grinning.

"Oh, I didn't know you were coming back so soon…" she trailed off, catching sight of the girl of to the side. She opened her mouth to say something then shut it. She turned to look up at Ron, who smiled and looked over at Lisa. Molly then looked back at Lisa and her eyes started to water. She then walked up to the scared woman and embraced her in a tight hug. For some reason Lisa couldn't understand, her eyes began to water as well. Maybe it was because of the love the older woman exhibited or perhaps it was because that some where, deep inside of her, she felt like she was finally home…

**A/N: I promise, the next chapter will be either a private chat between Hermione and Ron, Hermione and Ginny or Hermione and Harry. Most likely it will be Harry or Ginny.**

**hpotter.is.hotter:** I'm glad you like the story!

**Avanell:** Well, don't let my story stop you from writing yours!! Write on!

**-47SydneyVaughn74-:** I never said anything about there being triplets.

**Dany Granger Weasley:** Like I said above, I never said there were three girls.

**Wesker888:** He is a bastard isn't he?

**No Chapter Tease.**

**This Is For REVIEWERS only. (Of either of my stories up until now, so if you haven't started reviewing then I'm sorry):**

I am officially looking for a beta. It is open to all of my reviewers. Being the weirdo and utter lunatic that I am, I do have specific requirements. If you are not able to do this, that is ok. No pressure! Of course, I don't want one person to have the whole responsibility of my insane updates so I will be looking for two willing souls. (1 for Falling to Pieces and 1 for The Lord's Judgement) :-)

**_Requirements:_**

_1. Quick response! (**2-4 days**) You all know how fast I update and I would like to keep up my reputation._

_2. Helpful tips, critisism and ajustments (when nessisary and please insert where major changes were made and why. minor changes such as the addition of a adverb or whatever is fine.)_

_3. Confidentiality (**of course**)_

I hope you are able to help me in making my chapters more clear. Send me a message if you are able or just reply in your review.

Salem


	14. The Burrow

**Disclaimer: You know, this is just to waste space.**

The Burrow was crowded that evening. The Weasleys had all congregated in the family room and had been reintroduced to Lisa. They had been formally warned about her situation and had immediately sympathized for her, giving her words of encouragement and long, teary hugs. Lisa was so overwhelmed that she had broken down the moment her parents walked through the door. It didn't take much for her to know who they were, her mother's face and her father's warm smile. Her mother and her had sobbed in each other's arms, Mrs. Granger constantly murmuring her daughter's name as if it were the last thing she would ever be able to say. Her father just held her tight, silent tears running down his aging face.

Now, Lisa sat on the couch talking to the nieces and nephews she never knew. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes swollen from crying but she really looked happy. Brandy had taken an immediate liking to Fleur and the two were in the corner whispering and giggling quietly. There was one person who wasn't present. Lisa looked up to see Harry sit down beside her, handing her a cup of tea. She smiled and said "thanks" and took a sip, closing her eyes gratefully.

"How are you doing?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"Exhausted… but I'm glad I came," she whispered, her eyes on the twins who were talking to her twins. She then looked around and frowned.

"Where's Ron?" she asked. Harry stiffened slightly and looked around as well.

"He must be upstairs," he answered softly. Lisa looked at Harry, sizing him up and then sighed.

"What were we like?" she asked curiously. Harry looked at her in surprise.

"What?" he asked. She shrugged.

"What were we like? Ron and I?" she repeated. Harry looked out at the happy crowd and smiled, his eyes clouding over with a better memory of his dark past.

"You two were the most amazing couple I've ever seen," he said. Lisa turned and faced him fully, wanting to know more about her past with the mysterious man with the beautiful blue eyes.

"How?" she asked. He looked at her.

"You two could get in the worst fight in the world. Swear words, objects flying and everything. And yet… a few hours later you two would be snogging each other senseless," he told her. She blushed furiously.

"Snogging?" she repeated. He nodded.

"_Yeah_. That or you two would have a good shag in Ron's old room." he said with a grin.

"Ron told you this!" she exclaimed, embarrassed and outraged.

"Ron told me everything," Harry said.

"EVERYTHING!" Lisa said her voice a mix of barely controlled rage and shock. Harry went completely red at what he had just said and shook his head.

"Not everything. I didn't mean it _that_ way, but you know… guy stuff," he said, looking down at his hands. Lisa looked at him carefully. She didn't exactly know how to feel about this man. He was obviously a close friend of hers and Ron's but the fact that he knew quite a bit about their sex life seemed to show more than just a casual school friend. But that wasn't all that bothered her. It was the look on Harry's face when he said the last part. Like it was too painful to say it. She reached out to touch his arm.

"He's not the same is he?" she asked softly. Harry chuckled crudely.

"You have no idea…" he said. He looked up at her.

"He really took it hard when you left… well we all took it hard, but Ron showed it the most."

"Really?" Harry nodded.

"He… he never actually allowed himself to… _let_ it show…"

"What happened?"

"He… he left… he searched everywhere for you. He left _her_ behind," he said. Lisa frowned.

"Who?" she asked. He looked up at her.

"Your other daughter… the one that survived anyway." he added. Lisa bit her lip, looking around.

"How much damage have I caused?" Harry glanced at her and held her gaze. He didn't have to say it. She could see it in those green orbs. The pain. The loss. Everything that had been the past seven years of her absence. And it made her heart twist painfully. She pulled away from his gaze. Harry took her arm.

"Don't worry about that now…" he offered her a smile. "You're home now…"

* * *

Ginny glanced over to the couch where Harry and Hermione were talking quietly. She turned back to her father, Hermione's father and Colin, who was talking.

"We have to get her to a hospital as soon as possible so that they can evaluate what has happened to her." Colin was saying. Arthur nodded eyes on Hermione.

"Has she mentioned anything about the other child?" he asked. Ginny shook her head.

"It was like the child didn't even exist." she said. Mr. Granger frowned.

"What's going to happen once she goes to the hospital?" he asked worriedly. Arthur turned to the man.

"They'll run some test. Try to determine what curses were used on her and judge whether or not the baby was actually born." he said. Mr. Granger scratched his balding head.

"They can do that?" he asked, impressed. Ginny smiled.

"St. Mungos is known for their permanent damage ward. We've been able to help some of the cases, especially the memory loss victims. Hermione's not a hopeless case." she said encouragingly. Mr. Granger nodded his eyes on his daughter. Hermione seemed so happy at the moment, giggling at something Harry had whispered to her. She then blushed and looked down. He said something to her that made her eyes go wide and then she shook his arm. He nodded and they both got up and left the room, all eyes on the two.

* * *

Lisa was anxious. Harry was taking her upstairs to show her some pictures. She didn't know why she was nervous, but she was. What if she saw something she didn't like? Harry took her hand and led her into one of the rooms. Letting her go, he dug into one of the drawers and finally found what he was looking for. Hesitantly at first, she took them from his hand and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes grew large as she ran her eyes over the moving figures.

The first one she looked at was one of them standing in front of what Lisa guessed to be a school.

_Hogwarts?_ She thought quizzically. She had heard it mentioned quite a bit. Her younger self seemed to be at least sixteen, waving cheerfully at the camera. The younger Harry came in to the photo and wrapped an arm around Lisa's waist, waving as well.

The next picture was of her again with a younger version of Ron. She frowned slightly as Ron pulled her to him, holding her captive as she struggled weakly to get away. She was laughing, placing her hands on his chest and saying something to him. He shook his head and yanked her closer, their lips making contact. Soon the two were lost in their own world, oblivious that they were still being watched. Blushing madly, Lisa went to the next picture.

It was that picture that made her freeze. It was of her and Ron. They were older in this one and not snogging. Lisa was wearing a beautiful wedding dress and Ron was wearing handsome black robes. The couple was dancing slowly, just turning in circles. People around them were smiling and pointing, but the couple didn't seem to care. They were lost as well, though by the look of it, Lisa guessed that the world they were in was completely different. They were just dancing, Lisa's head on Ron's chest, her eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her face. Ron had his head on hers, whispering to her softly. Just the serenity of the moment. The gentleness that was shown, yet, when she saw them pull away and look into each others eyes, she saw passion. Aggression. Lust. Promises. Hard times. But most of all… she saw something that made her heart tighten and her breath hitch. What she saw was a love so great that not even a dark evil could undermine it… She had seen the same look in Harry's eyes when he looked at Ginny and when Mr. Weasley looked at his own wife.

Then something happened that caused Lisa's eyes to water. Ron leaned in and kissed her younger self. It wasn't a long kiss, nor was it a passionate one, but one that was short and simple, yet said more than could ever be explained.

"You were a beautiful bride." Harry and Lisa looked up to see Ron leaning against the door post, eyes on the picture in her hand. Blinking back the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes, she handed the pictures back to Harry and took a deep breath before standing up. She looked back at Harry then at Ron.

"We seemed happy," she offered. Ron's eyes shot up to hers.

"We were." he answered. Lisa looked unsure. There was coldness in the redheaded man's voice and iciness in his eyes that daunted her. Though it was obvious it wasn't aimed at her, it seemed that her absence was evidently a major factor in his change. Ron pulled away and looked behind him.

"There's someone who wants to meet you," he said. She frowned then her eyes grew when she saw who entered. Lorel just stared for what seemed like an age then ran over to Lisa and hugged her securely. Too shocked and uncertain of what to do, Lisa stood there for a moment and stared down at the girl that had her face and her curly mass of hair. That's when tears suddenly came falling from her eyes.

She had no idea who this child was! Her instincts told her that this was her child yet… her heart broke because her mind made no connection. There were no readings. No real "love" for the child that held her so tightly. And this realization alone was what made the sick feeling return. Pulling away from the girl, she ran out of the room and into the bathroom near by. Ron's eyes met with Harry's before he exited the bedroom as well and went over to the bathroom door. He knocked.

"Hermione." he called. Lisa's heaving could be heard through the door. He knocked again.

"Hermione." he called. The toilet flushed and he could hear the water flow from the tap. He waited until the lock clicked and Hermione appeared from the door, holding her stomach. She looked up at him through glazed eyes then collapsed.

"Hermione!"

**A/N: Hope you like.**

**elbbubniaevili: **I don't think they're going to be getting together any time soon.

**Cynthia Cacciola:** We'll just have to find out!

**Wesker888:** The coaster's about to take a big turn.

**Avanell:** Now that is a mystery isn't it?

**Dany Granger Weasley:** That's ok. I also wonder what Malfoy's done.

**Ashsmee:** I'm glad you love it!

**Chapter Tease:**

_She screamed as he dropped and scrambled over to him. Pulling him out of sight of the window, behind the register, she turned to her crying babes, trying to shut them up quickly._

_"Please… for mummy," she whispered. Suddenly a scrunch in the glass shut her up and she pulled herself under the register, closing her eyes, tears now flowing silently from them. The group watched as two men entered the destroyed post office, wands at the ready..._


	15. Memories

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me.**

Harry, Ron, Brandy, Ginny, the Grangers and the rest of the Weasleys, minus the kids, were in the room with two healers and Lisa's unconscious form. Colin had left. The reason Lisa had collapsed was just because of the pressure she was under and her body couldn't handle it.

"Basically a release mechanism," the Head Healer, Greyson, said. Mrs. Granger looked over her daughter with worry.

"Will she wake up soon?" she asked. Greyson nodded.

"Oh yes, she'll be fine," he responded kindly. Ginny stepped forward.

"Healer Greyson," she addressed. Greyson turned to Ginny and nodded.

"What is it, Ginny?" he asked. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter Lisa had tried to show them.

"She says there are words on there, but we don't see anything," she told her boss. Greyson frowned, running his hands over the parchment. He looked up.

"Well, I've seen stuff like this before… usually when we get ransom letters and such. We've had people who specialize in this field come in so much and explain it that we actually know quite a few of the parchments ourselves. This…" He paused and turned to the healer beside him. "You remember more than I do about these things. What is this?" The younger healer took the parchment and then her eyes got big.

"I've seen this at the post! This… it's a kind of parchment that uses a password to open it. Forlorn or something," she said. All eyes, for some reason, went to Harry. At first he was confused then he realized why he was the center of attention.

"The Marauder's Map," he whispered. He shook his head.

"We already tried different spells to open it… nothing worked," he said. The healer shook her head and took out her wand.

"Look," she said, tapping the paper. She murmured something inaudible and then the paper glowed. Suddenly words appeared on the parchment. The woman frowned.

"It's a riddle of some sort… like a poem…" she whispered handing the parchment back to Ginny. Ginny held up the paper and read it out loud.

"Make haste, make haste,

At dawns first light,

Indescribable force does come,

Darkness beyond this heart's content

Enters in to destroy the prize,

Not even the gods can save me now…" she trailed off, frowning as well.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mrs. Granger asked, confused. Ginny shrugged.

"I wouldn't know…" she looked up at Bill. "You've always been good at riddles and such," she said, handing him the parchment. He looked over the words carefully. He touched the parchment and then his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Well, first of all. We know Hermione was in trouble. It was probably night when she wrote this and someone, most likely Malfoy was coming after her," he said. Ron rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Well, that must mean that the explosion transported them somewhere… we know that already," he muttered. Bill shot him a dirty look before continuing.

"The weird thing is… Hermione writes 'gods'. Why would she write gods? She obviously doesn't believe in multiple gods," he murmured. For some strange reason, Charlie grabbed the parchment and ran his eyes over it carefully. His eyes then brightened.

"It's a password. First of all, 'gods' is a clue. But look at the first letter of each line. The spell 'maiden'…" They all looked up to see Ron give a start then snatch the paper. He looked over the words then sudden realization dawned on him.

"Of course! Maiden goddesses," he exclaimed. Molly frowned.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Ron turned to her.

"Hermione and I were thinking about names for the babies. Names that Hermione liked the best were…"

"The maiden goddesses…" Harry finished. Ron made eye contact with him and nodded before taking out his own wand and tapping one side of the paper.

"Artemis." He tapped the other side of the parchment. "Athena." He tapped the middle. "Aphrodite," he whispered. The paper glowed and then the riddle disappeared and other words took its place. Ron read it quietly, his shoulders sagging as he read.

"What does it say, Ron?" Ginny asked carefully. Ron shook his head and handed her the letter, standing straighter and walking out the room. Again, Ginny read out loud.

"Ron. My location is New York, the magical town of Rendon. Please come quickly. Malfoy's been following me for the past three months. Due to the pregnancy, I have not been able to move much on a count of being noticed in muggle towns, in case Malfoy finds out I'm around. Go to the post of the town and ask for Lisa Blakes. The man at attendance will know what to do. Ron, I'm scared. The girls are…"

"What? The girls are what?" Harry asked urgently. Ginny just shook her head.

"It doesn't say… the letter ends there," she whispered.

"What does that mean?" Fleur asked. Ginny looked up.

"It means something happened… most likely someone attacked," she said. Charlie frowned.

"I've heard of Rendon before. It's famous for much, but it's one of the only wizarding towns in New York. Wouldn't we have heard of an attack?" he asked. Greyson shook his head.

"Not if the deatheaters wiped out the memories of everyone in the tow. I've been to Rendon and it's not a big town. You could easily wipe out memories in a short amount of time. There was a story a few years ago about a fire, but other than that I didn't pay any attention to it. That must have been the time Hermione was there," he whispered. They were all silent, eyes turning to Lisa's prone figure. The younger Healer looked like she was going to speak then stopped herself. Greyson looked down at her.

"What is it, Cunfort?" he asked. The woman looked around then up at her superior.

"Well… I'm not sure… but, isn't there a way to recall the last memories of an Obliterated victim?" she asked softly. Everyone at once started speaking.

"You mean there's a way-"

"Are you saying you can-"

"Why weren't we told-"

"You're telling us-"

"Silence!" Greyson yelled over the commotion. Once he was satisfied, he nodded.

"Yes, there is a way to recall memories from a victim. The reason we didn't tell you is because it doesn't allow the victim to remember anything. The victim is completely asleep during the memory recall and doesn't even know what's going on," he explained. The room was silent for a moment then Harry stood from the seat by Lisa's bed and left the room for a few minutes then entered again with Ron. Ron looked over at Lisa then nodded.

"Let's do it," he said. Greyson nodded and took out his wand. Waving it over Lisa's head, he began to murmur indistinctly. Lisa's body began to shake slightly. The more Greyson murmured the more violently Lisa convulsed.

"What's going on?" Mr. Granger asked, concerned. Cunfort shook her head.

"The harder the memory is to find the more the physical the curse gets. The curse must have been very strong," she observed. Finally, a silvery strand rose up from her temple and she stopped shaking. Greyson nodded to Cunfort. She lifted her own wand and stepped directly behind the strand.

"_Miramosa_!" she said clearly. A blue light shot from her wand and struck the silver memory. The strand blew back into the wall and expanded into a large screen. Greyson motioned for everyone to gather around.

"Let's see what she has to show us," he said. He lifted his wand and pointed to the screen.

"_Consuma!_" he yelled. Suddenly the screen expanded all around them. Soon they found themselves standing in a town. It was small with a few people walking about. It was late.

"Over there," Ginny said, pointing over towards a small store. It wasn't what was in the store, but what was walking in front of it. A hooded figure. It was carrying a basket and heading towards the post. Ron was the first to start moving, followed by everyone else. The figure entered the empty post office, with the group right behind it. There was a man standing at register, looking at the paper. The figure approached the man, set down the basket and pulled back the hood. The man looked up and gasped, as did everyone else.

"_You… you're Hermione Weasley!" _the man exclaimed. Hermione lifted her finger and shushed the man.

"_Please! Please be quiet. I think I'm being followed and I don't have much time to stay here,_" she whispered urgently. The man nodded. He observed Hermione carefully. She was pale with blood trickling down the side of her face. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her hair had been cut to an extremely short length.

"_Of course,_" he whispered. He leaned in. "_If you need anything, please feel free to take it. You can stay here until someone comes to get you. By the way, the name's Hunson_," he said. She smiled in thanks. She took off her cloak and revealed something that made Ron sit down on the ground right there. Two sleeping babies with curly red hair were strapped to her chest and her back. Leaning down, she pulled the blanket off the basket to reveal another small infant. The man hurriedly came to her aid, helping her take the children off of her.

"_Could you keep them behind the register_?" she asked. The man nodded and carried two of them while Hermione took the other one. The whole time this was happening, Hermione was frequently glancing out the window in fear. She stood and took the man's arm.

"_Do you have Forlorn's parchment_?" she asked without delay. The man nodded.

"_Yes, of course_," he whispered, reaching under the desk and taking out the parchment along with a quill and ink. Thanking him profusely, she took the chair he offered her and sat down; making sure that she was out of sight from the window. They watched her intently, jumping in surprise when something exploded outside. Screaming people ran past the window, pointing. One man came running into the building.

"_Hey Hunson! There's someone coming man! You'd better come on_!" he yelled before leaving. Hermione's eyes made contact with the man and she screamed as another explosion sounded. The glass blew out, shards flying everywhere. Hermione sat in shock as the pieces struck the poor man in the head. She screamed as he dropped and scrambled over to him. Pulling him out of sight of the window, behind the register, she turned to her crying babes, trying to shut them up quickly.

"_Please… for mummy_," she whispered. Suddenly a scrunch in the glass shut her up and she pulled herself under the register, closing her eyes, tears now flowing silently from them. The group watched as two men entered the destroyed post office, wands at the ready.

"Deatheaters," Harry whispered. Ron didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the men with loathing. Their eyes snapped to Hermione however who had suddenly reached out and started going through the man's pockets. She bit her lip and pulled back, clutching the dead man's wand. The men looked around. One of them leaned over the counter and smiled seeing the dead man, but missing Hermione. He turned to his partner.

"_Hey Grot! Looks like we got ourselves a dead wanker in here_," he called. The other man rolled his eyes.

"_Well, leave him there, they're no use to us dead_," he said as he left the building. The other man took one last glance and then left as well. The babies seemed to have known what was happening and had not made a peep the whole time. Hermione let out the breath she had been holding and crawled out, not looking at the body of the man. She reached down and carefully strapped two of the babies to her chest and back. The other child she picked up and held close as she peeked over the register. Going past the window were dozens of deatheaters, wands pointed at innocent people. Looking for her. Hermione looked around, spotted the back door and crawled awkwardly over to it. The group followed her out the back door and into a small ally. She looked around and then down at the baby in her arms. She closed her eyes.

"_I'm so sorry_," she whispered. She walked over to a small dumpster and managed to move it slightly. "_I can't carry you that far_," she said, placing the small child behind the dumpster, making sure nothing touched the little girl. "_I'll come back for you when I get help, I promise_," she whispered. "_And then I'll take you back to England and we'll go see all the sights. You know, have a girl's night before we go back home and see…_" her eyes began to well again and she looked away, closing her eyes in heartache. She took a deep breath and leaned in and kissed the child. "_See daddy… you're going to meet your daddy and I'll bet the first thing he'll say when he meets you is why couldn't you be boys. But you'll show him when you get older. You, Artemis and Athena will love Quiddich with an unhealthy passion and Ron and I will get into a fight on whether or not you should play because I obviously think it's to dangerous and Ron…_," she whispered, trying not to choke up and cry. Everyone's eyes were now on Ron, who was just staring, silent tears running down his heartbroken face. Hermione looked up to the darkening sky.

"_Ron… I need you_," she murmured before getting up, wiping away some stray tears and turning to leave. Just as she had almost reached the entrance of the ally, a man stepped up, dressed in all black. Hermione immediately raised her wand, backing up.

"_Leave me alone_," she growled. The man smiled.

"_I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Malfoy's been looking for you_," he sneered, raising his own wand. Hermione took another shaky step back. He rolled his eyes.

"_Why don't you make this easy and just give up_," he suggested. Hermione shook her head. Mrs. Granger was crying.

"She's not going to fire is she?" she whispered. Ginny shook her head.

"If Hermione shoots, the man will shoot back and might hit the babies," she said.

"_Stay away from me_," Hermione warned, taking the harness that held the babies off of her and gently laying the two girls on the ground by the wall, keeping her eyes on the man. He smiled.

"_You're making a mistake_," he jeered. Suddenly he attacked and soon lights blinded the ally. When the smoke finally cleared, both were down, bleeding. Hermione's chest was heaving as she gasped for air. There were at least seven slashes across her body, one of them so close to her throat that Ron was afraid she'd start breathing through it and choke on the blood, which she was currently coughing up. Hermione lifted her head off the filthy ground and looked around, spotting the man over towards the entrance. He didn't look any better. She searched for her wand and found it in the middle of the two along with his wand. He noticed it also and soon the two were dragging themselves over to the wands. They now saw that Hermione's leg was grotesquely broken and the man's arm was snapped in half. Hermione was struggling but when she finally grabbed hold of her wand she found herself facing the man's wand. He managed to get to his feet and pointed it straight at her.

"_Give up now_?" he asked. She kept her head straight and just as he lashed out; she grabbed his leg and yanked it with all the strength she had left. Right after he fell, she was on him, trying to grab the wand from him. Everyone watched with horrified helplessness as Hermione struggled for her life and the life of the three girls. The man finally got his feet under Hermione's stomach and launched her back. Hermione yelped and hit the wall and fell to the ground, not moving.

"Oh my God," Mrs. Granger muttered, burying her head in her husband's chest not able to watch anymore. The deatheater got to his feet and strode over to Hermione, ignoring the crying babies. He lifted his wand.

"_Cruci-_" Hermione raised her wand, shouted something and suddenly there was a bright flash. Everyone closed their eyes, and when they opened them, they were back in the hospital room. Greyson tapped his wand on his hand.

"That seems to be the point in which Hermione lost her memory," he whispered. No one was listening, eyes on Ron as he sat down in a chair and cried.

**A/N: Here you go.**

**ronandmion4ever:** I wanted to put Harry in there, just to show how much things had changed since she had gone.

**elbbubniaevili:** Well, you know what they say. Things get harder before they get easier.

**Cynthia Cacciola:** I'm glad you're enjoying it.

**Wesker888:** I hope this answers your questions.

**Dreadnok:** Thank you. I like it when I get a review who has read my other stories and knows what type of writing i do.

**Chapter Tease:**

_Lisa looked up and watched as he entered. She blushed and looked down when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt._

_"Oh, hey," he whispered, noticing her. She smiled and nodded. Pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice he sat down beside her._

_"Are you ok?" he asked carefully. She looked over at him._

_"I'm fine really... how's Lorel?" she asked._

_"She's sleeping now. She'll be better in the morning," he answered._

_"Does she get her bravery from you?" _

_Ron snorted. "Yeah right. The only thing she got from me were good reflexes and her appitite," he told her. Lisa watched him carefully._

_"Harry told me a little about Trinity. What was she like?"_

_Ron looked down at his hands. "Trinity was beautiful... like you..."_


	16. Night Talk

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

There was an awful silence that fell upon the Burrow when the Weasleys entered later that evening. Lisa, like Greyson had said, didn't remember anything. Ron had not said a word since the memory and it was now starting to make everyone extremely nervous. They knew Ron. He was bound to explode sooner or later. The thing they were afraid of was that if he didn't blow up now, when he started ranting later, it would be much worse. Lisa had picked up on the tension long ago when she had woke up, but now, she wanted to know what had happened.

"Ron-"

He exited the room before she could finish. She turned to Harry, her eyes questioning. Harry shook his head, sighing.

"LOREL!"

Everyone looked up to see Ron running down the stairs, carrying a limp Lorel. Harry ran over to him, helping him set Lorel on the ground.

"What happened?" Harry asked urgently. Ron shook his head.

"I don't know… she's not moving." Ron looked so helpless. So…

_Weak_, Lisa finished silently, eyes on the girl. Harry took out his wand and began to murmur under his breath. Lisa turned to Ginny.

"Why don't we go back to the hospital?" she asked. Ginny looked over at Lisa.

"Harry knows what he's doing," she whispered. Sure enough, Lorel started spluttering, her eyes bulging as she gasped for air. Ron grabbed her and pulled her to him, eyes closed in relief. It was then Lisa realized what Ron had lost.

* * *

Lisa looked up and watched as he entered. She blushed and looked down when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"Oh, hey," he whispered, noticing her. She smiled and nodded. Pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice he sat down beside her.

"Are you ok?" he asked carefully. She looked over at him.

"I'm fine really... How's Lorel?" she asked.

"She's sleeping now. She'll be better in the morning," he answered.

"Does she get her bravery from you?"

Ron snorted. "Yeah, right. The only thing she got from me was good reflexes and her appetite," he told her. Lisa watched him carefully.

"Harry told me a little about Triniti. What was she like?"

Ron looked down at his hands. "Triniti was beautiful... like you..."

Lisa blushed and looked away from him. Ron however, kept going.

"She… She was amazing… She was four when it happened… she died right in front of me… of us," he whispered. Lisa could feel her eyes watering as he continued to talk about his daughter. Ron looked up at her.

"When we told Triniti you were pregnant… she was so excited. Of course that got Lorel excited," he said. He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'd give anything to have that back."

Lisa bit her lip and just watched him, unsure of the right thing to say. What could you say to a man who had not only lost his wife and children, but was also losing the only other thing that reminded him of what once was? What could you say to a man whose world was crashing down around him? You could comfort him, but what could you say? You could let him wallow in his grief, but then he would burn out… There was only one thing she could think of to say.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Ron stiffened suddenly.

"Don't," he whispered. Lisa frowned.

"Don't what?"

"I don't want pity… especially from you," he murmured.

Lisa reached for him. "Ron, I…"

He got up and headed up the stairs. "Just don't."

* * *

"_Hey," Hermione whispered, stepping out onto the small balcony that morning. Ron turned and smiled, watching as she shuffled over to him, wrapped in bed sheets. He took her hand and pulled her to his chest, keeping her there. She blushed under his intense look and looked out over the beautiful city. Ron leaned in and kissed her forehead._

"_I didn't want to wake you up," he whispered. Hermione smiled and looked up at him._

"_Last night was perfect," she replied, running a hand up and down his bare chest. Ron leaned in and kissed her gently. She smiled into the kiss before pulling away and going back inside._

"_I'm famished," she said. Ron snorted._

"_That's the first time I've heard you say that," he said following her back into the bedroom where she was sitting on the bed, reading the small menu. Ron sat down on the bed behind her and began kissing her shoulders as she tried to decide what to get. She kept groaning and shrugging him off, finding it hard to concentrate with his lips on her. _

"_Ron, please," she whispered as he began to go up to her neck. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her, slipping a hand into the sheets that covered her and making her gasp from his touch. She turned to him, fixing him with a solid look._

"_Ron, I'm hungry," she said. Ron smiled and continued to kiss her neck, pushing her back onto the bed so that he was on top of her._

"_So am I," he whispered. Hermione whimpered as his hands found their way between the sheets and she tried to wiggle away, but Ron's weight on her kept her where she was._

"_Ron," she groaned as he pressed himself to her. Ron lifted his head, smirking down at her. He could tell she was having a very hard time putting her thoughts together as he continued his tantalizing onslaught. She gulped, her eyes closed as she tried to retain some form of control. That all disappeared when he pressed himself to her again. She let out a gasp then sighed._

"_You were saying," Ron breathed into her ear. She just whimpered, pulling him closer._

"_I love you," she whispered._

Ron sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. He closed his eyes, trying to get the images out of his mind.

"Hermione," he whispered. That memory, now just a dream, had been of events almost twelve years ago.

_Is that how long it's been? We would have been married for twelve years,_ he thought. _We would have had more… Lorel wouldn't have had to go through this and Triniti…_

Getting out of bed, he put on a shirt then grabbed his cloak and pulled his wand out from under his pillow. Disapparating, he appeared in front of a rusted old gate. Looking around, he opened the gate and entered the small cemetery. He walked passed several carved rocks, trying not to think about all the fallen who rested here.

Finally he spotted what he was looking for and stood in front of the stone, eyes trained on the letters.

"Here lies Triniti Bethany Weasley. Beloved daughter. You will always be loved," he read quietly.

He never liked coming here, but yet he often found himself here, reading the same inscription. He had originally avoided the place for obvious reasons, but after a fight with Harry, he had come down by himself. He always came here by himself.

"Only four years old," he whispered, eyes becoming unfocused as the memory of that night began to surface again. His heart clenched in his chest making him gasp as he struggled to breathe.

_NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE!_

Ron blinked and looked away from the tomb, tears forming in his eyes.

_You can't make me chose!_

Ron closed his eyes, trying to stop the memory from coming through, but the harder he tried the harder it forced its way to the front.

_Tick tock! Tick tock, Weasley. Time is everything. Now, decide!_

Ron's eyes widened and the tears came with the even stronger memory.

_"NO!" he screamed. A smile appeared on Malfoy's lips._

_"Well then... we'll just have to lower the choices shall we?" he said. Hermione's eyes bulged at what he had said. Ron stood stock still._

_"What?" Malfoy turned to the death eater holding Triniti and nodded. The death eater took out his wand._

_"NO!" Hermione screamed, trying desperately to reach her crying confused daughter, tears streaming down her face. There was a flash of green light and the little girl's lifeless body fell to the ground. In that moment, time stood still. Ron's heart stopped as he saw Triniti's small hand hit the ground, pale. Suddenly her whole life flashed before his eyes. Her birth. Her first step. First word. The first time he ever held her. Her birthday's. Everything... and now... she was gone... Hermione's cries of anguish and heartache came back into focus as reality once again came crashing back into his life._

_"NO! YOU BASTARDS! NO!" he screamed, falling to his knees. Lorel started crying louder. Malfoy's smile grew, but it never met his emotionless eyes._

_"Now, now, Weasley. You still have four more... that is if you start choosing. I assure you, I know spells that will pinpoint life and destroy it without affecting that thing you call a wife," he sneered. Ron remained on the ground, silent tears running down his face. Hermione's eyes remained on her fallen daughter, silently pleading that this was all a horrific dream. A dream that all of a sudden got much worse._

_"CHOOSE WEASLEY!" Malfoy ordered, growing increasingly annoyed. Ron looked up and his eyes met with Hermione's. Her heart broke in that one moment. She saw his helplessness. His fear. And his utter ruin. She looked down and then around, searching for something. Then she saw it. Her wand. It was lying on the ground, ignored. Her eyes then met Ron's again. He could tell what she was thinking and shook his head slightly. She bit her lip, tears cascading down her dirty face._

I'm sorry_, she mouthed._

Ron found himself kneeling in front of his daughter's grave, crying and begging for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry," he wept. "I'm so sorry..."

**A/N: Here it is.**

**charma10:** You're very welcome!

**sballLuvr5:** Who knows? (shrugs)

**Wesker888:** Thank you.

**Cynthia Cacciola:** They might? But then again, they might not?

**Avanell:** We'll just have to wait and see. I'm not obligated to tell you about the other baby.

**Dany Granger Weasley:** No one ever said that the baby was still alive...

**Chapter Tease:**

_"I... I'm leaving..."_


	17. Walk in the Snow

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is amazing!**

When Ron came in the next day and sat down at the kitchen table besides Harry, everyone knew where he had been. His tearstained face and grass-stained jeans told them everything they needed to know. Lisa of course was out of the loop and was extremely concerned.

"Are you ok?" she asked quietly, taking his hand.

For a moment it seemed as if he was about to answer, but instead he withdrew his hand and continued eating in his own tortured silence. Harry glanced over at Ginny. She met his gaze and for a moment then turned to Lisa.

"Hey, Lisa… would you and Brandy like to come with me downtown today? I have to go get some stuff anyway," she suggested.

Lisa tore her eyes away from Ron and turned to Ginny. "I'm sorry, what?"

Ginny was about to answer when Brandy got all excited. "Oh really! We'd love to. I've always wanted to visit London. This way I'll be able to see the _wizard_ part of London! I'm going to go get dressed," she said eagerly, getting up and hurrying up the stairs.

Lisa was quiet for a moment before nodding and getting up as well. She was about to head up the stairs when two girls came bounding down them, squealing as Fred and George came running after them. Lisa stepped in front of Fred and George before they could grab the two girls.

"What's going on?" she asked, her tone much different that before.

Fred grinned and pointed to Artemis. "Those two snagged our wands," he said.

Lisa frowned and turned to the two girls, who were giggling. "Is that true?"

Athena pointed at George. "Uncle George told us they were fake," she defended.

Lisa froze for a moment and blinked. "Uncle?" she asked her mouth suddenly dry.

Artemis nodded. "He is our uncle isn't he?"

Suddenly the room got quiet as they watched to see how Lisa handled this. Lisa glanced over at Ron, whose eyes were on her then turned to her girls, looking slightly confused.

"Yeah…" she whispered distractedly. She coughed and stood up straighter. "Yes, of course… um… have you two had breakfast?" she asked, desperately trying to change the subject from a topic that she was still rather uncomfortable with. Artemis and Athena shook their heads and Lisa nodded.

"Well, go get some then take a shower and get dressed. We're going downtown," she told them. When the girls nodded, Lisa left the room in a rush. She ascended the stairs and went into the room she was occupying closing the door behind her. She walked over to the bed and sat down, thoroughly confused. It wasn't the fact that Artemis and Athena had accepted the fact that Ron was their biological father, but the fact that they had embraced it so quickly and without many difficult questions. She had gone on several dates but the girls had never liked any of them. Especially Athena. She was always the difficult one. Just like the goddess she was named after, she was ready for a fight and wasn't very welcoming of new men in Lisa's life. Artemis was different. She was more of the bookworm. Reading anything and retaining everything. They were the only things that helped Lisa get through her days alone and now… now that she was going to be facing some difficult decisions. Especially when it came to Ron. He was their father and had every right to them as she did, but that was the problem. She didn't _know_ the man. She didn't remember anything about him though when he was near by she felt things she hadn't felt around other men before. She felt a connection with Ron and it scared her to know that she had once been extremely intimate with him. That she had once been _in love_ with him.

Lisa was shaken out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She hadn't realized it until she was back in reality that she was crying. Wiping the tears away, she took a deep breath.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened and Molly Weasley stepped in. "Hello dear. Are you ok?" she asked, taking in Lisa's pale face.

Lisa looked up and nodded, offering a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm just tired, that's all…" she said.

Molly, of course, knew better. She remembered countless days when Hermione would come running into the Burrow trying to find her mother or Molly, complaining about Ron and how much of an arse he was. Molly knew better.

"It's about Ron," she stated.

Lisa looked away. "I don't know what to do… I want to stay, I really do. But I don't want to hurt Ron. He's been through so much… If I never remember, things will never be the same. He'll have his girls back, but I…"

"You feel pressured," Molly offered, sitting down beside the woman.

Lisa nodded. "Exactly. I mean, Ron's been searching for seven years for a woman who's supposed to remember him… I don't even know who he really is," she whispered.

Molly pulled the woman into warm hug, smoothing her hair. "It's ok… in time you'll figure out what you need to do. Until then, ask Ginny some questions. You confided in her about every aspect of your relationship with Ron. She'll be able to help you out," she told Lisa. Lisa nodded and got up, going over to her suitcase and pulling some clothes out. Molly sighed and left.

* * *

"Here we are! Diagon Ally!" Ginny exclaimed, grinning as Brandy's eyes got huge upon seeing several frogs tap-dancing on a rug. Lisa looked around and frowned, pulling Artemis and Athena close to her, noticing several people starting to crowd around, taking pictures and calling out Hermione. Ginny frowned as well. 

"She won't be answering any questions. No go away," she said, trying to shoo away the photographers.

"Mom!"

Ginny turned to see her youngest son, Timothy get pulled on by a photographer. She squared her shoulders and whipped out her wand.

"_Expelliarmus_!" she screamed. The man when flying, hitting a stand and destroying it. Ginny whirled around, eyes blazing. "Anyone else?" she growled. The photographers actually seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Alright! Break it up!"

They all turned to see Kingsley waving his wand around, glaring at several photographers. Soon, the street was back to normal. Kingsley turned to Ginny.

"You ok?" he asked.

Ginny nodded gratefully, taking hold of Timothy's hand. "I'm ok now. I completely forgot about the press. Of course they'd want to get a shot of Hermione," she said.

Kingsley nodded, glancing over at Lisa. "I'll be around," he said before disappearing into the crowd. Lisa frowned but didn't say anything, following Ginny as they continued down the way. They spent sometime in several clothing stores until the children started complaining about the cold and being hungry. Ginny smiled and led them all to the Leaky Cauldron. They were all seated and looking at the menu when Ginny finally looked up.

"I'm guessing you want to know about your relationship with Ron?"

Lisa's eyes bulged. "Who told you that?"

"Let's just say I overheard your conversation with Mum, but that's beside the point. What do you want to know?"

"I don't know… Did I tell you about our sex life because Harry seems to know a lot about that?" she asked suddenly.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You told me some things, but seeing as it was my brother you were shagging, I didn't want to know every single detail."

"What did I tell you?" she asked.

"Well, first of all, your wedding night was your first time, so don't worry about that-"

"You want to really know what happened?"

They all looked up to see Alicia and Angelina smiling at them. Ginny grinned and moved over, making more space for the two women. Angelina offered her hand to Lisa.

"I'm Angelina Weasley and this is Alicia Weasley. I'm Fred's wife."

"And I'm George's," Alicia said.

Lisa nodded. "How do you deal with those two?" she asked.

"Plenty of ways. But that's not relevant right now. Now, Ginny may not be able to tell you about your love life with Ron, but we can. All I can say is that, from what I know, every Weasley male is really good at what he does," Alicia said.

Lisa blushed. "How many people did I tell about my love life?" she asked.

"Oh, please, Hermione. Us girls never kept secrets. We told each other everything about everything, including sex. Now what else do you want to know?" Alicia asked.

Brandy glanced over at the kids playing and smiled. "How many kids were they planning to have?" she asked curiously.

Angelina smiled. "From what I heard, Ron wanted nine, but was willing to cut it down to a good seven," she said, watching as Lisa's eyes grew.

"Seven? You're not serious?"

Ginny nodded. "Every Weasley wants a big family… well except me. I'm just lucky to have a family with Harry. Ron wanted so much to have a large family… just like my other brothers."

Lisa looked at Alicia. "How many kids do you have?" she asked.

"Three, like Ginny. Angelina and Fred have four. Charlie, Ginny's older brother, has six. Bill has five. Percy has three… and you and Ron… you would have had five…" she finished quietly, looking down at her hands.

Lisa opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. She had seen so many lives torn by her absence that she didn't know if she could stand to see one more teary eye. It amazed her how much everyone loved her. For the past seven years she had gone around thinking that she had been abandoned. Thinking that she had been left behind because she wasn't loved. Her hand snaked up to the chain around her neck. That one chain that held the ring. The ring she had been found with that made her to feel even worse about her previous thoughts.

* * *

Lorel was slightly nervous. She hadn't spoken to the woman at all, but she really wanted to. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door. There was a moments silence then the door opened and Lisa appeared. Upon seeing Lorel standing at the door, she smiled and moved to the side. 

"Come in," she said.

Lorel gave a nervous smile and entered, looking around. She had been in the room countless times. Some of those times she had actually slept in here.

Lisa moved over to the bed and sat down, patting the side of the bed. "What can I help you with?" she asked pleasantly. In all actuality, her heart was racing. She remembered the last time she had seen the girl and didn't want to make that mistake again. This _was_ her daughter after all, even if she didn't remember. She wanted to do her best to be a good mother.

Lorel sat beside her and looked up at Lisa. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked abruptly.

Lisa was taken aback at first then bit her lip. "No… I'm sorry, I don't," she whispered.

Lorel seemed to take that ok. "Ok… do… do you like it here?" she asked.

Lisa nodded. "Very much. Everyone is so close. They all love each other a lot," she said.

At this, Lorel's smile faltered. She looked down at her hands. "Dad never used to be around much. Ever since I could remember, he was only around for Christmas. Last Christmas he didn't come at all…" She looked up at Lisa. "He really loves you," she whispered.

Lisa hesitated for a minute then turned away. "I'm sorry you lost your mother," she murmured.

Lorel looked up at her. "My mum's right here…"

* * *

Lisa found herself wandering around the back yard, observing several magical objects while snow slowly drifted down on her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, letting the snow fall on her and surround her in a false sense of security. Her mind wandered back to what Lorel had said earlier as she drifted farther into a made up world she didn't want to leave. 

"There's a sight I haven't seen in a long time."

Lisa turned and gave a small smile as Ron walked up to her, fist crammed into his pockets. She waited until he was beside her before walking.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing," she whispered.

Ron stopped and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously Hermione. I've known you since you were eleven. If you're going to lie, I'm not the best person to do that to," he said before walking again. Lisa just stood there, watching him carefully. Again she felt it. That weird feeling she got when she was around him. The fact that he could read her so well scared her slightly. Then again, the fact that she was a witch scared her even more. Ron stopped and turned to her.

"What is it?" he asked.

Lisa hesitated then straightened, frowning in confusion. "How do you do it?" she asked sharply.

Surprised by her tone, Ron walked back over to her. "How do I do what?" he asked.

Lisa let out a frustrated sigh waving her hands in his direction. "This! How can you be so calm and make me so…"

"Flustered?" Ron offered.

"Confused!" she retorted, walking past him then turning to him quickly. She observed him for a moment then started walking away again.

"I mean… you know everything about me and I know _nothing_ about you, yet you behave as if we were old friends!" she said. She didn't know why she was angry. There was just something about the man that made her feel… spirited for lack of a better word.

"Hermione-"

"No, Ron! It's Lisa. Hermione's the woman you lost seven years ago. I… I'm just an acquaintance who happens to be the mother of your children. Nothing more nothing less..." Lisa finished, folding her arms and turning away.

"You act like her," Ron whispered.

Lisa froze. "What?"

"Hermione… you act like her," he repeated calmly, his mind still reeling from her last outburst.

Lisa turned around and observed him for a moment. There was so much she wanted to say at that point. So much she wanted to tell him but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want to be the reason for the man's destruction. But, she didn't want to be the reason he cried at night anymore. She looked around, hoping for some divine intervention, but it seemed that God wanted her to do this on her own.

"Look Ron… I… I will never be Hermione… I will never be the same woman you woke up beside seven years ago. I may look like her and act like her, but that doesn't make me her. You've spent seven years searching for a lost cause… You have a daughter," she said, pointing at the barely visible Burrow. "You have every reminder of what once was back there… if you continue to let that go just because of me then…" She couldn't think of anything else to say.

She had run dry of excuses for this man not to love her that she had looked over every reason why he should. And that's what scared her the most about him. That look in his eyes. The smile he gave her that she had learned was saved exclusively for her. All of that was for a woman Lisa didn't deserve to be. All of the love he showed her was for a woman who had earned it.

Ron took a step towards her. "Hermione," he whispered. When he saw her close her eyes at the word he frowned. "Lisa," he tried the word foreign to him. She looked up. "Look… I-"

"LOOK OUT!" Lisa shrieked suddenly, pointing behind him.

Ron turned around in time to see a large grey wolf leap. Ron fell to the ground and then looked up in time to see the thing take off after a screaming Lisa.

"Hermione!" he screamed, scrambling to his feet and sprinting after the two. He could hear Lisa call out to him for help then she came into view again. She had stopped and was backing up. It seemed the animal had jumped in front of her to keep her from entering the woods and was now menacing her. Ron drew out his wand, squatting down and inching over.

"Please…" Lisa whimpered.

"_Vetra Mortin_!" Ron screamed. The animal howled in pain, a long burn on its flank. The thing growled at Ron but backed off when he raised his wand again. It took off into the woods disappearing into the snowy fog. Ron ran over to Lisa, who was shaking like a leaf. He pulled her into his chest where she started sobbing uncontrollably. Ron leaned down and picked her up, watching his back as he carried her back to the Burrow.

* * *

"Is she ok?" Harry asked once Molly and Holly, Charlie's wife, came down the stairs. Holly, like Charlie, was interested in dragons, though Holly was more of a healer. 

Holly nodded. "She'll be ok. She's just shaken up. The thing didn't actually wound her," she explained.

Ron looked over at the staircase, frowning.

_Where did the animal come from anyway? And what did it want with Hermione?

* * *

_

Lisa woke up in her room at the Burrow. At first she was confused then she remembered. The wolf. The attack. Ron…

Sitting up, she looked around and rubbed her head, yawning. Ron must have brought her in.

A tapping at her window brought her out of her thoughts. She got up and pealed back the drapes. At first, because of the dark, she didn't see anything, but then she noticed the fluttering wings. Frowning, she opened the window and let the cold creature in. It flew over to the small desk and landed on the back of the little wooden chair. Lisa walked over and noticed the red letter it was holding in its beak. Oblivious to what it meant, Lisa took the letter and looked for a name. She found one.

"To Lisa Blakes…" she whispered. Lisa frowned, not knowing why a letter from an owl would be addressed to her. It was an unusual red letter she'd never seen before. She knew she should probably show it to Ron or Harry, but at that moment, she didn't exactly feel like talking to them. Especially Ron. Sighing at her own stubbornness, Lisa opened the seal.

_CONCAVON SEREFU LESONO RIVIVO!_

Lisa was blasted back into the ground, yelping as she hit it. For a moment she blacked out.

Opening her eyes, she looked around the room, frowning. Sitting up, she got a better look at the room and her eyes grew.

"Oh my God…"

**A/N: Here you are. This one is especially long so you won't get bored!**

**sballLuvr5:** I hope that happens too!

**Scofield'sMyMan:** We'll just have to wait and see.

**charma10:** Sorry, I got so caught up in this chapter that I wasn't able to put in the chapter tease. You'll have to wait.

**Cynthia Cacciola:** We'll just have to wait and see.

**Wesker888:** Like I said with Cynthia, we'll just have to wait.

**Nothing else to report except to say that I'm sorry about Let Me Go, but some things are going on with me right now, so I'm just not able to go on with that story. Sorry.**


	18. The Lord's Plan

**Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling... nothing else to say.**

**And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them. (Numbers 33:56)**

It was like the summer after seventh year all over again. Except, usually, there'd be two lazy boys in the two beds snoring and she'd be screaming at them to wake up.

_Now that you've gotten over the shock, you had better stay where you are_, came a familiar drawl that brought Hermione crashing back to reality. She looked around then noticed that the red letter was still intact. Her breathing began to shorten as she continued to look around.

She was at the Burrow…

She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Ron!" she gasped, scrambling off her feet and heading for the door. Everything was coming back to her. The past few days. The past seven years. Her whole life!

_You make one more move to contact anyone and Aphrodite will die,_ came the voice again.

Hermione froze, her eyes wide. She remembered… Aphrodite…

_I've anticipated your moves you worthless mudblood, so I suggest you do what I say before I kill the girl_, the letter growled dangerously.

Hermione turned around and watched the letter in fear.

_That's right. Now there should be a second owl about now. I suggest you follow the directions correctly or trust me. I will find out if you've followed them_, the letter threatened before tearing itself up.

"Hermione!" came Ron's voice from the other side of the door.

Hermione's heart was racing and her chest was heaving. She was so close… so close to the freedom she had deserved. She remembered everything. She was finally back and now… She felt her heart wrench at the though of Ron on the other side of the door. But she knew Draco. That owl hadn't stayed in the room for no reason. She was being watched and she knew if she spoke to Ron, she'd kill her daughter.

"Hermione, are you ok? I heard voices in there," he called.

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears as she gulped. "I…" she coughed, her voice extremely dry. "I'm fine. Just fell out of bed, that's all," she lied, hating herself more than ever. He was right there!

"Do you need anything?"

"Just go away!" she said, knowing if she sounded agitated enough, he'd go.

"You sure?"

"Just go, Ron!" she shouted. There was a moments pause then she heard him descend the stairs. She waited for a moment then scrambled over to the window, opening it again and grabbing the irate bird flapping around in the snow. She took the letter from the bird, letting it rest on the bed. Tearing open the letter she read it carefully, tears flowing down her cheeks as she read.

She was finally home…

* * *

"Harry dear," Molly said, flipping the pancakes. 

Harry looked up from helping Timothy with his food. "Yes, mum?" he asked.

"Why don't you and Ron go and check on Hermione. She's been up there all morning and I'd hate to have her starving," Molly said in a concerned voice.

Ginny couldn't help but snicker as she sipped her tea. Ron jumped out of his chair, whereas Harry seemed to take his time, not to happy to depart from his eggs and sausages.

"Can I go too?" Lorel asked. She had loved the little chat she and Lisa had had earlier and really wanted to see how she was doing.

Ron smiled and nodded, heading up the stairs with Lorel in the lead and Harry lagging in the back, chewing on a pancake he had purloined from Molly. Lorel knocked on the door just when it opened and Lisa, along with a very upset Athena and Artemis. She was holding her suitcase. Ron's heart caught in his throat and Harry suddenly looked more alert. Lorel was the only one who didn't seem to understand at first what was happening.

"Where you going?" she asked curiously.

Lisa's face was tearstained and her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying all night. Athena was about to say something when Lisa grabbed her arm, shooting her a very nasty look. Athena backed down, shrinking over to her sister, who had also been crying. Lisa didn't seem to want to meet Ron's gaze, nor Harry's.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, praying to hear something different that what his heart was telling him.

Lisa continued to keep her head down. "Athena, Artemis. Go down and wait for me. And don't say a word," she told them. Artemis broke out into tears and Athena led her down the stairs, lips sealed.

Lorel reached out to touch Lisa. "Mum?"

Lisa's eyes shot up, wide. Her eyes began to fill again as they flickered with something Ron almost recognized. She bit her lip then looked back down, wiping at her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered before she moved to go down the stairs. Harry, however, stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

Still, she wouldn't look into their eyes, tugging at her arm. "Please… don't make this harder than it has to be," she murmured.

"Hermione, what's going on?" Ron asked in a hushed whisper.

Lisa was about to say something then stopped herself, biting her lip. She cleared her throat and stood straighter. "I… I'm leaving…"

Just like that fateful night seven years ago, Ron's heart stopped. He just stared at her, his heart twisting painfully and then ripping. He reached out to take her hand.

"Hermione," he whispered.

Lisa closed her eyes, pulling away and shaking her head. "No… no…"

"Hermione," he pleaded.

"No," she whispered.

"Hermione, please," he implored.

"NO!" she screamed, turning to face him, eyes blazing. "My name is Lisa Blakes! Hermione Granger died seven years ago! I… I can't stay here any more. I want to go back to New York where it's safe!" she screamed.

"Hermione, please! Don't do this," Ron begged, taking her arm.

Tears suddenly started flowing from Lisa's eyes as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "I'm not HERMIONE!" she screamed, dashing off down the stairs with her suitcase.

For a moment Ron stood there, and then before Lorel or Harry could say anything, he took off after her.

"LISA!" he screamed. Lorel and Harry ran down the stairs to see Lisa herding the two kids towards the door. The Weasley's were all trying to stop her but she was ignoring them. Ron shoved past everyone and grabbed Lisa by the waist, spinning her around and placing a hand on the back of her head. He pulled her to him, their lips meeting in a heated exchange. Hermione started sobbing, but not for the reason Ron thought. She wanted so much to stay like this in his arms. She wanted to get lost in him like she used to. But the image of the baby girl she had lost seven years ago came so vivid in her mind that she had to pull herself away. She grabbed Ron's hand on her waist and pulled it away before pulling herself away from him, shaking her head.

"I'm leaving and that's the end of it," she told them. "Brandy?" she said. Brandy hesitated for a moment then followed her as she walked towards the door.

"Lisa. Lisa please!" Ginny screamed, following her out the door into the freezing cold. "Lisa wait!" she insisted, grabbing Hermione's arm.

"What?!" Hermione snapped, turning around.

Ginny hesitated for a moment, then let go. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Hermione shook her head and turned away; helping the girls into the taxi that was waiting for them. "It's too dangerous," she whispered before getting into the taxi. Ginny stood there, ignoring the wind and snow as she watched the taxi drive away.

* * *

Brandy tried to comfort the two children in the back of the cab as Hermione sat quietly in front, trying to stop crying. 

"So we're just going back to New York?" she asked critically.

Hermione closed her eyes. "We're not going back to New York," she whispered, turning to the driver. "Are we?" she asked pointedly.

The driver smiled and took off her cap, shaking her head as her long black hair fell back down. She turned to Hermione.

"No, we're not," Pansy Parkinson answered.

* * *

Inside of the Burrow, all eyes were cast warily on Ron's form. He had not moved since Hermione had left. He then looked down at his curled fist and opened his hand, revealing the chain Hermione had had on her neck. The ring in his palm glistened in the light. 

Hermione had put it in his hand when she had removed his hand from her waist. Memories of old surfaced as he tried to think of what it meant. Of why she had given it to him.

"Ron," George whispered, concerned for his little brother.

Ron looked up at them all, his fingers curling around the object in his hand.

"Hermione's in trouble."

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! HERMIONE'S BACK! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?!**

**PS: I am so gracious. I gave you both chapters at once so you wouldn't have to squirm with anticipation. Now I'm going to make you suffer in your own imaginations. Which makes me feel wonderful, by the way... I take joy in other peoples pleasurable sufferings... in case you haven't noticed...**


	19. Wait

**Disclaimer: Yada, yada, yada...**

"Wait… what?" Harry asked, completely confused.

Ron turned around and started walking over to the kitchen. The rest of the family followed him, wanting to know what he meant by his previous statement.

"Dad! Dad! Why is Lisa in trouble?" Lorel asked.

Ron shook his head, searching through several drawers. "Not Lisa…" he muttered absentmindedly. "You're mother," he said.

"What?" Bill asked, taking a seat at the table. "Ron, you're not making any sense."

Ron turned around to face all of them. "The woman who walked out that door just now was not Lisa Blakes. That woman remembers every freaking year of her life," he growled, slamming a map out on the kitchen table and smoothing it out.

"Wait… so you're saying that was Hermione?" Ginny asked, coming in from the hall.

Ron nodded, looking over the map intensely. His mind was racing. She remembered everything. She remembered!

"Then why would she leave?" Harry asked warily, not fully trusting Ron's mental state at the moment.

Ron took out a pen and started jotting down numbers on the map and he answered them. "Back when we first got married, we all knew the risk we were taking, especially after Hermione put that death eater in Azkaban. Anyway, we decided to make up some sort of way of communication just in case the other one got into a situation in which we couldn't say what was wrong," he explained in a rush.

There was a slight silence then Molly puffed up. "So that whole thing was an act?!" she asked.

Ron finally looked up. "Not the whole thing. The kids' crying was real, but other than that it was an act. Hermione not making eye contact with anyone. The kiss… and this," he said holding up the chain with the ring. "She remembers everything," he whispered.

"Then… what's wrong?" Harry asked.

Ron looked back down at the map. "Malfoy's got her…"

* * *

"What's going on, Lisa?" Brandy asked shakily as they stepped out of the taxi.

Hermione made sure to check her surroundings, noting the tree stump at the side of the road and the glistening of ice on the frozen lake. It had stopped snowing while they were in the car. Pulling the girls towards her, they followed Pansy off to the wooded area.

"I'm not Lisa," she whispered. "My name is Hermione Weasley," she said.

Brandy gasped and moved closer to her. "You remember everything?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, eyes flickering over to the man who appeared at the side of the snowy trail. He stalled until he was behind them and then took out his wand and started obliterating their tracks. Hermione leaned into Brandy. "It's best not to talk until we're inside. I'll explain then."

They followed Pansy a great distance, Hermione's thoughts traveling alternately between Ron, Lorel and her third daughter.

_Ron_… For the past seven years her other self had known nothing of the man. But now… now that she remembered… she wanted nothing more than to hold him again. To be held by him. To feel his heart and know that it wasn't a dream but a reality she had been absent from for the longest time. She wanted to relive their first night together. Their wedding night… She wanted to get rid of all the pain he had felt during her absence and the guilt she knew he felt.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from crying out loud as they continued their trek up the wooded hill.

_Lorel_… She had suffered so much after the loss of her mother. With Ron absent, Lorel had grown up not remembering a happy family moment. Hermione wanted to be able to hold her daughter. To tell her it was ok and that everything would be ok…

Suddenly Triniti's face came to her memory and Hermione stumbled slightly. Triniti… What had happened that night came screaming into her mind, reminding Hermione of the atrocity that had been committed and the ever burning vengeance that lurked in the dark corners of Hermione's pained heart. Hermione's loathing for Draco Malfoy grew as she continued to walk. The man had killed her daughter. He _would_ pay…

Aphrodite… the baby girl had never met her father and already she had probably survived so much. Hermione could not imagine what Malfoy had done to her. Hermione blamed herself for what had happened…

"Hurry up. I don't like the snow," Pansy grumbled, picking up the pace until they reached one of the ugliest plants Hermione had ever seen. Though it was probably dead, but that wasn't the point. There was no way you could possibly describe how despicable the thing looked, standing alone in the snow. Pansy, however, leaned down and started tickling the thing. Brandy made a wry face as the thing started giggling like a school girl, wiggling around as Pansy continued to tickle it. Finally it let out a foul smelling odor that surrounded them all. The girls started complaining again, coughing and making faces at the giggling plant.

"Close your eyes," the man behind them commanded.

Doing as they were bid, they closed their eyes and felt the odor close in around them, constricting their lungs painfully. Suddenly the pain was gone.

"My, my… Hermione Jane Weasley… I never thought I'd see you again."

Hermione's eyes shot open and she found herself staring into the steel grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. Instead of letting out a yelp like the last time she had been in this position, she lunged at him, curling her fingers around his neck. The two fell to the ground, rolling around. Hermione held on even after someone kicked her in the head. Malfoy tried to shove her off, but failed seeing as she was driven by loathing.

"Daddy!"

Suddenly, Hermione was being hit by small hands as she continued to try to throttle the man in her grip.

"Stop! Stop please! Let go of my daddy!" screamed the little girl.

Hermione caught a glimpse of the girl and her eyes widened and she froze. Malfoy shoved her off of him and stumbled back, smiling at the shell shocked Hermione. Her eyes were on the little girl who clung to Malfoy, glaring at her.

"Aphrodite…" she whispered.

The little girl's eyes widened and she looked up at Malfoy. "Who is she, daddy?" she asked in a frightened voice.

Hermione's heart broke right then and there. Shattered by that one word that was bestowed upon the one man that she hated above all things. The girl… _her_ girl… had called Malfoy… _daddy_…

Tears started to stream down her cheeks as she shook her head, not wanting to believe it. Not wanting to hear those words spoken again. "No… no… what have you done to her?" she asked, eyes going up to Malfoy.

He just smiled down at her. "She's my daughter…" he answered before motioning to the guards near by. They grabbed Hermione, pulling her away.

She snapped out of her trance and started struggling against them.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to get back to the little girl. "NO! Aphrodite, please! It's me! You're mother!" she pleaded, trying to get away from the guards. They yanked on her harder. "You won't get away with this!" she growled at Malfoy.

The man placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, watching as Hermione was hauled away with the others. "I already have," he whispered before leaving.

Aphrodite was left there by herself, frowning.

_Mum?_

**A/N: Short, but I think it gave you what you wanted without spoiling anything. There will be an in-depth explanation on what happened after the explosion seven years ago. **

**sballLuvr5:** I promise, all will be explained in the next chapter.

**qb1:** Well, I'm always glad to hear from new people!

**Scofield'sMyMan:** I hope you don't still hate me after this update!

**Cynthia Cacciola:** He will, after he figures out where she is.

**charma10:** Well, you didn't have to wait long!

**ronandmion4ever:** Congrats! Hope you do well! Don't worry about the chapter switch. I get that way sometimes.

**Wesker888:** Thanks for everything again!

**No Chapter Tease! (I don't know what I'm doing for the next chapter!!!) :-(**


	20. Triplets

**Disclaimer: Here you go! HP is not mine.**

Aphrodite thanked the man and watched him leave her room before turning to her dolls. Her mind was still on that weird lady who had known her name. The one who had claimed to be her mother.

_But that couldn't be right. Daddy had said that mummy had died when giving birth to me_, she thought.

Frowning she moved over to sit beside her favorite stuffed animal, a rather large male lion. She observed her dolls she had lined up and sighed, turning to the stuffed animal.

"What should I do Mr. Strawbee?" she asked the inanimate object. The thing stared at her through beady black eyes and she sighed again. Her dad hadn't really liked her choice of animal when they had gone shopping for a pet. He had said that there were better things and then he had proceeded to pull a silky snake off the shelf. Aphrodite had then stuck out her tongue and clung to the lion for dear life. Her father had then muttered something about her being like her mother. 'A stubborn little' then he had said something that Aphrodite wasn't allowed to repeat. Needless to say, she had gotten her stuffed animal along with several other toys she had lobbied for. She didn't know where she had come up with the name, she just knew that it sounded a lot like strawberries and she liked it a lot.

Once again the image of that woman appeared in her mind and she found herself staring in the large mirror Ms. Parkinson had bought for her. In the recent years she had started to really doubt her father's logic in what her mother had looked like. She had started realizing that, though they had the same eye color, this was the _only_ thing that she and her father had in common. She had just guessed that she looked more like her mother. Her untamable hair. Her attitude. Her unbelievable appetite. She supposed they were all from her mother. But that wasn't all that bothered her.

Lately, her father had been edgy. He had become more distant with her, taking long trips to England and other places whose names Aphrodite couldn't pronounce. When her father had finally offered to take her with him to London, she had been overjoyed. But there was something about the shared smiles between him and the other men he worked with that had caused her to become uneasy. She may have only been seven but there was something in her gut that was saying that his behavior was one to be cautious of.

Then there was that lady again. Why was it that Aphrodite couldn't keep her mind off of the lady who had tried to strangle her father?

Aphrodite turned back to Mr. Strawbee, who was still just staring at her. "Do you think daddy would mind if we paid the lady a visit?" she asked. When the stuffed animal didn't answer, she took his silence for a 'No, not at all!' and got up off the floor and dusted off her jeans. Knowing that the trip down to where daddy kept the intruders was noisy, Aphrodite took off her shoes and went over to the dresser. Opening one of her drawers she pulled out a box and opened it. Smiling, she pulled out some dung bombs and stuffed them in her pockets before heading for her door.

"Wait here, Mr. Strawbee," she ordered, shutting the door behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Aphrodite stopped to see Ms. Parkinson coming down the hall. Aphrodite straightened, putting on the expressionless face her father had used so many times.

"I'm going to the bathroom," she lied.

Pansy rolled her eyes and then passed by. "Well, I'm not going to help you," she said stiffly, disappearing around the corner.

Aphrodite made a face in the lady's direction, mimicking what she said before taking off down the other hall. Stopping a large tapestry, she lifted the end and slipped behind it, heading down the small stairwell. Stopping at the bottom, she listened for voices. She could hear some male voices but they soon left the corridor. Waiting some more, she finally lifted the other tapestry and slipped out, padding off down the next set of stairs. She was almost at the bottom when she tripped over her socks and stumbled down the stairs, knocking into a small table. There was a rather expensive vase on the table and it started to wobble. Aphrodite grabbed out for it just as if fell and she snatched it out of the air just before it hit the ground. Thanking her father for his Quiditch skills. That was the only other thing she inherited from Draco Malfoy. Giving out a sigh of relief and setting the vase back on the table, she took off silently, slowing down only when she finally got to the prisoners cells.

Looking around, she spotted the woman from the entrance hall leaning against the bars, tears running down her cheeks. Aphrodite looked around for guards then quietly made her way over to the cell.

"Hello," she whispered politely.

The lady jerked then looked around, spotting Aphrodite. Her eyes grew. "Aphrodite!" she gasped.

The little girl frowned. "How do you know my name?" she asked, staying a safe distance away so that she wasn't within grabbing distance.

The lady bit her lip. "I'm your mother," she whispered.

Aphrodite shook her head. "My mommy died when she gave birth to me," she stated.

"No… Malfoy's been lying to you," the woman said.

"Daddy wouldn't lie to me," Aphrodite shot, getting slightly annoyed.

The lady turned around and whispered something. There was some shuffling around then two little girls came to the bars. Aphrodite's eyes grew large and she scrambled over to the bars. The two girls on the other side of the bars looked exactly like her. Well, almost like her. Unlike her stormy grey eyes, they had chocolate brown ones like the lady. One of the girls smiled.

"Hi, I'm Artemis," she said kindly.

Aphrodite just stared, her mind filling with questions. She asked the first one that came to her mind.

"Would you like to meet Mr. Strawbee?" she asked.

Artemis frowned. "Who's that?" she asked.

Aphrodite smiled. "He's my friend. I'm sure he'd like you," she said.

"Aphrodite," the lady whispered urgently.

The little girl turned to the lady. "Hmm?"

"Has Malfoy ever told you about what really happened to you?" she asked.

Aphrodite frowned. "He told me that I was his daughter. He's my daddy," she defended.

The lady's shoulders sagged. "Oh honey… you don't believe me…"

Athena crawled forward. "You look like us, you know," she commented.

Aphrodite nodded, frowning. "I… daddy never told me I had sisters," she told them.

"Aphrodite, listen to me," the lady said urgently. "Malfoy's not your dad. Look at you. You two have nothing in common except for your eyes. Your real dad had red hair. And look at your sisters… Aphrodite please," she whispered, noticing that the girl was starting to inch away.

Aphrodite didn't know how to cope with all the information she was being given. Everything the lady was saying some how made sense, yet… If the lady was telling the truth then her daddy wasn't really her daddy but some imposter who had pretended to be her daddy. But he had been so nice. So… dad-like… How could he not be her dad?

"Who's my real daddy and who are you?" she asked quietly but firmly.

The lady dug into her pockets and pulled out a picture. She handed it to Aphrodite who took it and studied it carefully. "The little girls are your other sisters," she whispered.

Aphrodite looked over the picture, her eyes landed on the only man in the picture. He was standing by a tree, holding one of the little girls. He was really handsome and looked happy. He had a bright smile on his face and seemed to be laughing about something.

But the thing that captured Aphrodite's attention was his eyes. They were a bright blue and filled with a feeling Aphrodite couldn't explain. She bit her lip. She had never seen that type of look from her father before… if he even was her father… Before she ever realized what was happening, silent tears were running down her cheeks. She had never had a family like that…

She looked up at the lady and asked the most heartbreaking question they had ever heard.

"Are you my mother?"

The lady nodded, tears flooding her eyes. Aphrodite let out a strangled sob and went over to the bars, where Hermione pulled her into as best a hug as she could manage. She smoothed out the girl's hair, kissing her temple as Aphrodite cried. "Shh… it's ok, now… I'm here," she whispered.

"So who do you think will make the finals this year?" came a voice.

Aphrodite sprung up and turned around. The voices of two men could be heard as they descended the stairs. Aphrodite hesitated for a moment then reached into her pocket and handed Athena something before diving behind a small statue. When the men appeared at the bottom of the staircase, they headed for some chairs in the corner, not noticing the little girl that ran up the stairs and disappeared out of sight.

* * *

It was a few hours later when Brandy finally decided to speak. She had been watching Hermione carefully and had to ask the question that had been burdening her ever since that day in the hospital and had been spurred by the confrontation with Aphrodite.

"You never left her behind did you?" she asked quietly.

Hermione looked up from watching Athena sleep and then shook her head, looking back down at the girl, stroking her head as she slept. "No…"

"What happened?"

Hermione closed her eyes. "I didn't know… It happened a month after I had given birth to them…" She turned to Brandy. "Do you remember that trip we took last summer to Albany? That haunted house?" she asked suddenly.

Brandy frowned. "Yeah, I wanted to go inside," she whispered.

Hermione nodded. "Giving birth to three girls had weakened me so much I wasn't able to go on… I was captured by some men and taken to that house," she whispered. "The memory you saw in the hospital of that town wasn't entirely accurate."

"How did you know?"

"Seven years ago, I was captured by Malfoy. Needless to say he did things to me that I shouldn't repeat. Somehow I managed to escape… unfortunately when I went to get the girls, I…" she stopped, her eyes tearing up.

Brandy went over to her, pulling her into a hug as she fell apart.

"He knew I would escape… he knew I would find them… It was only until I got out that I realized that the third child I was holding was nothing more than just a bundle of sheets…" she whispered.

"Oh Hermione," Brandy gasped, pulling her closer. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

* * *

Aphrodite found herself in her bedroom, staring at the photo the woman had given her. She liked the man in the photo. He looked much nicer than her dad.

She wiped her eyes and looked over at Mr. Strawbee.

"We have to do something to help them," she told him. When Mr. Strawbee didn't answer she smiled and hugged him. "I knew you'd agree with me. But what should we do?" She paused for a second then shook her head. "No, we couldn't do that… oh! That's a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed. As if knowing, the thing just smiled back at her through dark eyes. She was about to get up when the ground shook. Screaming she fell when she heard something explode. She ran over to her door and opened it, running to the rail along with several other men and women who had no idea what was going on. There was a moment's pause then a woman came running in from the entrance hall to the main foyer, looking around wildly.

"Aurors! At the entrance! They're coming!"

Immediately it was mass chaos. People running in different directions, going to where they were trained to go. Aphrodite ran back to her room and reached under her bed. Pulling out a big box she pulled out several dung bombs, some muggle firecrackers and a huge round orb that she had been saving for a long time. Shoving it all in her little backpack, she grabbed Mr. Strawbee and ran out the door, heading for the tapestry while trying to avoid eyesight, which wasn't hard, seeing as everyone, was focused on the attack at hand. She was almost at the tapestry when someone grabbed her backpack and yanked on it.

"Let go of me!" Aphrodite whined as she was pulled back.

"Where do you think your going?" Pansy Parkinson hissed.

Aphrodite struggled against her, turning around and glaring at the woman. "I'm going to the bathroom, do you mind!" she retorted.

Pansy glared at the little girl. "Oh no you don't!" She screamed, grabbing Aphrodite's arm. Aphrodite leaned down and bit the lady then kicked her in the shin. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a dung bomb and flung it at her. Pansy yelped, her eyes stinging as the thing exploded. The little girl then proceeded to whack Pansy in the stomach with Mr. Strawbee. Pansy wiped the gunk from her eyes, her entire being as well as the hall reeking of something nasty. She screamed at the girl and Aphrodite, for the heck of it, screamed as well, whacking Pansy again in the face before ducking under the tapestry and heading down to the prison cells. She held Mr. Strawbee close.

"Thanks for taking one for the team," she whispered as she stumbled out into the next corridor.

_She had to help her mom!_

**A/N: I know you enjoyed this as much as I did. I love Mr. Strawbee! He rocks! **

**ronandmion4ever:** Maybe they were already able to talk a little sense into her.

**sballLuvr5:** I hate Malfoy also!

**SongxOfxGlory:** Correct! I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess she never really noticed them until now.

**katerpillar:** Well, I hope you were able to do well in school!

**Cynthia Cacciola:** Right at the end, but she has!

**Wesker888:** I guess imagining Malfoy as a father is a scary thought. As for seeing what happens after the explosion, I'm not going to tell you _everything_.

**Avanell:** Of course. You think I'd let any child of Ron's go off without having Hermione's fiery attitude!

**Chapter Tease:**

_"APHRODITE!"_

**HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	21. Reunion

**A/N: Sorry, it's been a long time.**

"Hermione, wake up!" Brandy whispered, her voice tightened with anxiety. Hermione opened her eyes and frowned.

"What is it?" she asked. The question was answered as the ground below them shook, small rocks falling from the ceiling.

"What's going on, mom?" Athena asked, scooting closer to her mother.

Hermione watched as the guards stood as well, wands at the ready. A woman came flying down the stairs, her black robes billowing behind her.

"Get the mudblood," she ordered.

"What's going-"

"GET HER!" the woman shrieked, looking back up the stairs.

"What about the others?" the other guard called.

The nervous woman glanced at Brandy and the girls then shook her head. "Kill the muggle and get the girls also," she snapped, her wand shaking slightly.

The men were about to ask something else when the ground shook again.

"What's going on?" one asked as they went over to the cell.

"Aurors… Their at the entrance, trying to get in. Someone must have squealed," she answered, glancing over at the stairwell again.

Hermione scrambled over to Brandy, grabbing her shocked friend and pulling her towards the back as the guards opened the cell.

"NO!" she screamed, pulling her daughters towards her. The guards ignored her, violently grabbing a screaming Brandy and dragging her out of the cell as the girls started to cry. They threw her to the ground and pointed their wands at her.

"Ow!" one guard complained, looking around while rubbing his head.

"Stop stalling, kill her!" the woman growled.

"Ow! Something hit me!" the other guard whined, rubbing his arm.

"Oh for crying out loud, I'll do it!"

There was a flash of light then three bodies hit the floor. Brandy raised her tearstained face and looked around to see them all on the ground.

"What happened?" she asked, sniffing.

"They're knocked out," Aphrodite said, shuffling down the stairs, clutching her stuffed animal closely. "Mr. Strawbee didn't like them," she whispered.

"Aphrodite!" Hermione exclaimed, running over to the child and falling to her knees, crying.

Aphrodite froze, her mind searching for something familiar. Something she should know.

"Are you really my mum?" she asked quietly.

Hermione pulled away and looked at the child, nodding. "Yes… yes I am… I'm _so_ sorry for what happened to you… I never meant to leave you behind," she whispered, holding the girl's face in her hands.

"Mommy," Artemis whispered.

Hermione turned to the two girls and then they all screamed as a enormous explosion sounded, followed by silence. Hermione got to her feet and grabbed Artemis and Athena's hands.

"Aphrodite, you have to lead us out," she said.

Aphrodite faltered for a moment then nodded, picking up Mr. Strawbee and turning back to the stairs. Athena and Artemis broke off from their mother and followed their sister. Hermione helped Brandy up and they followed the girls.

The moment they hit the main level, it was apparent what had happened. The Aurors had finally been able to break into the underground fortress, destroying the entrance hall and flooding into the main axis. Fighting was everywhere, flashes of light filling up the dusty halls.

"Come on!" Aphrodite yelled over the noise, leading them past several people that Hermione didn't recognize. Her heart began to race. Her three children were in front of her with no protection at all. This horrifying fact made Hermione run forward and grab all three of them, pulling them to the ground as more explosions could be heard.

"Stay down!" Hermione ordered, watching a group of people race by, ignoring the ones on the floor. Hermione began inching forward, her eyes darting back and forth as curses were fired.

"Hermione!" someone screamed.

"Bill!" Brandy screamed, waving him over.

The man came over and knelt down beside them all, double taking when he saw Aphrodite.

"Is… is that…"

Hermione nodded. "It's her… but we can talk about that later, we have to get out of here," she whispered urgently.

Bill ducked a curse and fired off one of his own before grabbing one of the girls. "Come on!" he said, leading them down one corridor and down a flight of steps.

They entered the main hall, where the massacre was only beginning. Deatheaters were being forced back as the Aurors were winning. Hermione didn't want to see anymore, nor did she want her daughters seeing any of it. She grabbed Artemis and Aphrodite, covering their eyes.

"Don't look," she whispered, her eyes searching the ranks for someone…

"Ron!" she shrieked, watching him fly back when a curse hit him. The moment he hit the ground, she sprinted out, ignoring the cries of the others for her to stay. Hermione's heart had dropped to the pit of her stomach and her stomach was starting to churn.

_No… no… no…_ she repeated in her mind, dodging curses and scampering over the fallen rocks and men. Her vision was starting to get blurry and she wiped her eyes, diving to Ron's side and grabbing his arm. She looked over his face, searching for something. Anything. His eyes were closed. Reaching forward, she felt for air from his nostrils.

"Please, Ron," she begged.

"Hermione!" Brandy screamed, pulling her down as a curse flew by.

"He's not breathing," Hermione sobbed, placing her ear to his chest. Her heart stopped. "No… no…" she whispered repeatedly as she started to shake him, only half aware of what was happening now. Her mind was growing fuzzy and a nasty taste was threatening to spill out of her lips. Her hands were shaking violently as she reached up and touched his pale face, fingers brushing over cold lips.

He couldn't be dead…

"MOMMY!"

Hermione didn't respond.

"MOMMY HELP!"

Hermione looked up and around, her eyes taking in everything but her brain not responding. That's when she saw what was happening. Over where she had left the girls, were Draco Malfoy and two men. They had grabbed Aphrodite and were carrying her down a dark corridor. Athena and Artemis were screaming for their mother.

"Aphrodite…" she muttered, not really connecting the cries for help with the scene before her. She looked back down at Ron's prone body, then back up at where her daughter had disappeared. Suddenly the world came crashing down upon her, bringing her back to the harsh reality she was now living.

"APHRODITE!" she screamed, getting up off the floor and running after Malfoy. Hermione tried to block out the images of Ron's body lying in the middle of the dead bodies.

_No, Hermione! He's not dead!_

Hermione let out a sob and continued to follow after, trying to swallow the dread that gripped her and focus on her daughter. Aphrodite.

Running into the corridor, she was greeted with relative darkness. Stopping so that she didn't run into anything, she waited for her eyes to adjust before sprinting off for the shadowed figures in the distance. As she went along the corridor, the sound of water met her ear, causing her to panic. What were they going to do?

Rounding the corner, she came to a stop, eyes wide with fright.

"Take one more step, Weasley… Just one more," Malfoy growled

Malfoy was standing by a small bridge that went over roaring water. Behind him was Aphrodite, Pansy and a few other men. Hermione's heart was stuck in her as she inched closer.

"You sadistic bastard, let her go," she growled, her voice displaying a strength she didn't feel.

Malfoy smiled. "Now is that the language to be using in front of my daughter?"

"SHE'S NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" Hermione screamed, lunging forward.

Malfoy yanked Aphrodite to him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned.

Hermione stopped herself, holding up her hands. "Don't do this… please…" she begged, watching as Malfoy pulled the scared girl closer.

"Don't try to claim my daughter, just because you abandoned yours," he growled, holding her tightly.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, her mind wandering back to the day she had escaped, not only from here but from the world.

"I _did not_ abandon her."

Malfoy smirked. "Sure you did… you left her behind while you saved those other creatures," he sneered.

Aphrodite was wiggling around, trying to break away from the man she called father.

"Leave her alone," she complained. "She's my mom!"

"Shut up!" Malfoy grabbed her and shoved her over to the men. "If you know what's best, Weasley, then I'd stay away," he growled, backing up, wand still on her.

Hermione could hear her hear pounding in her chest now, her brain searching for a way. She needed to get Aphrodite… she wasn't going to lose her again.

"Hermione!" someone called, coming down the corridor behind her. Malfoy turned from his place on the bridge and pulled another sneer.

"Potter."

"Malfoy!" Harry snarled, coming up beside Hermione. "Where do you think you're going?"

Malfoy smirked, pointing to the little girl behind him. "Where you can't follow," he answered, backing up slowly.

Hermione moved forward but stopped when the man holding Aphrodite dug his wand in the girl's neck.

"Please," she whispered.

Harry pulled her to him, wand fixed on Malfoy as he continued to move. "You're not getting away this time, Malfoy," he warned.

Malfoy snorted. "I got away last time… I can do it again," he said. By now they were already on the other side of the bridge. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was tightening as the small party disappeared around the corner.

Not able to stand it any longer, she dashed across the bridge, the sound of water roaring in her ears.

"Hermione, NO!" Harry cried, going after her.

Hermione was about to round the corner when there was a huge explosion from the main hall as well as the corridor she was now in. The entire place shook, forcing Hermione to her knees. Harry caught up and put himself over her as rocks fell from the walls and ceiling.

"APHRODITE!" Hermione screamed, breaking away from Harry and continuing on her way, ignoring the jagged rocks that fell around her. Harry followed her, grabbing her arm.

"Hermione, no! We have to get out!" he yelled over the noise.

Hermione pulled away from him and continued down the hall. There was a high-pitched scream and a very bright flash that went off before more explosions were heard. Harry pushed Hermione to the ground in time when a large body came flying overhead.

When the air cleared, a deafening silence filled the area. Harry pushed some debris off of them and they looked around. Hermione was shaking slightly as they looked around. Hermione gasped and looked away upon seeing the impaled man near the bridge. Harry held her close, looking around. They moved over the rocks, making their way down the hall and rounding the corners. Hermione let out a sob and broke away once again, stumbling over the debris until she reached the bodies. Falling to her knees, she moved some of the rocks, her eyes searching frantically for the little girl.

"Harry, help me," she pleaded, moving more rocks. The bodies she found weren't what she was looking for.

Harry moved some rocks, looking around the carnage. "Hermione… Malfoy's not here," he whispered.

"I don't care, Harry!"

Getting up, she grabbed more rocks and began to move them angrily, tears streaming down her face. "I can't lose her again," she muttered. "First Trinity, then Ron…. I'm not losing her," she sobbed, moving a bigger rock.

Harry went over to her and grabbed her. "What do you mean Ron?" he asked, shaking her.

Hermione broke down then and there, her knees buckling from under her and her sobs filling Harry's ears. "He's dead!" she cried, pointing towards the bridge. "I saw him fall… he was so cold!" she sobbed.

Harry's face drained with color, his grip on her arms tightening. Ron… was dead…

"Mommy?"

Hermione turned around and gasped. She let out another sob and scrambled over the rocks, scooping the dust-covered child up in her arms. Hermione was crying hard as she held Aphrodite close. Aphrodite pulled away slightly and looked at Hermione's face.

"Why are you crying?"

**A/N: Here yu go! hope you likey!**

**ronandmion4ever:** I'm glad you liked it so much. I like Aphrodite also.

**laura truewood:** Thank you so much.

**RHrWilLizKataangPrincess2010:** I LOVE PotC! You'll find out more about Hermione's brain loss later on.

**sballLuvr5:** Don't worry. Aphrodite's eyes is just a genetical error. Hermione didn't have an affair or anything. You'll find out more later.

**charma10:** Yes, well... you know me! I love to keep the reader amused. Anyway, as for the toddler thing, I found that a little easier. I just remember what I see in movies and incoorperate it into my writing.

**Wesker888:** Well, thank you so much.

**Chapter Tease:**

_"Hermione doesn't want to hurt anyone," Harry whispered._

_"Then don't be responsible for killing him," Ginny replied, pulling away from Harry and walking into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her._


	22. A Fate Worse than Death

**Disclaimer: No worries. I didn't copy anything.**

Ginny ran up to Harry, grabbing him and pulling him into a suffocating embrace, burying her face in his neck.

"Don't you ever do that again," she whispered.

Harry held her close. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you," he whispered.

Ginny nodded, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes.

"How's Ron?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked up at him, her eyes filling again. "We don't know… they haven't come out… Harry, he doesn't look good."

"But he's alive?"

Ginny nodded. "Barely," she murmured.

"Leave me alone! I'm not seeing anyone until I see him…. Of course I know him! He's my husband!"

Everyone in the hall turned to see the commotion. Every single Weasley gasped at the sight they beheld.

"Harry," Ginny gasped, holding onto Harry's arm. "Does she…"

Hermione burst passed the concerned healers and ran over to Harry. "Where is he?" she demanded.

"Hermione… you remember," Ginny whispered, her eyes still on Hermione.

Hermione turned to Ginny and her eyes watered. Soon the two women were sobbing into each other's arms. The other Weasleys ran over to the three. They all chattered excitedly. Around them, other families waited for the news of their loved one's well being. The emotional overload surrounding Hermione was overwhelming, making her cry harder as several other women expressed their joy in her remembrance.

"Excuse me. Mrs. Weasley?"

Seven different women turned to the healer, who blushed immediately at her error and looked down at her clipboard. She then looked back up.

"Mrs. Molly Weasley?" she asked.

Disregarding the call for one, everyone crowded around the Healer, desperate for the news of not only Ron, but Bill, Fred and Charlie. The Healer looked around then coughed.

"Hello, I'm Georgiana Hartfield. I'm the healer overseeing your family. Fred, Bill and Charlie will be ready to leave today after a few more potions," she told them.

"What about Ron?" demanded Mr. Weasley.

The healer looked down at her notes then stiffened. She looked up through sad eyes. "Ron is… Ron isn't doing very well. We've been able to stop the bleeding… but… He's gone under a coma and his health isn't improving. You must be prepared for the worst," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"He's dying?"

Hartfield was about to say something then stopped herself, looking around at all the faces. Taking a deep breath she looked at Arthur Weasley. "I'm not going to lie to you. The curse that hit Ron was dark magic and there's a good chance he won't make it. The only hope I can give you is that there have been a few who have survived, though…" she trailed off.

"Though what?" Ginny asked shakily, clinging to Hermione.

"As you know, he is under a coma. I must tell you that, with a curse like the one he was hit with, there's very little chance that he'll come out of the coma without some brain damage," she told them.

"Brain damage," Hermione stammered, breaking her silence. "What type of brain damage?" she asked.

Hartfield pursed her lips. "Well, there have been cases in which the patient came out of the coma only to just forget they owned a dog. Some have forgotten addresses, names… stuff that is easily gotten back…"

"What about the other ones?" Harry asked.

Hartfield looked at Harry. "Others have come out forgetting completely who they are or unable to use their limbs. Some have lost the ability to speak while others have been reduced to the I.Q. of a five year old… I must be honest with you. The chances of Ron coming out of the coma are not great. And even then, the chances of him not suffering from major brain damage are one in a million. I just want you to be careful in how you view this. I'd hate for you to get your hopes up to have something bad happen," she whispered before starting to move towards another couple.

Everyone didn't know what to do. Finally they had been given the opportunity to get back to the life they had had before the accident seven years ago and now… things might never be the same…

* * *

Hermione looked up at the knock in the door. "Come in," she whispered.

Laurie Granger entered, carrying some towels. She stopped upon seeing Hermione sitting on the bedside, watching four sleeping girls. Hermione looked up and smiled.

"They all went to bed about an hour ago… their so tired," she whispered.

Laurie nodded, setting down the towels and watching her daughter carefully. "You know… its ok to cry…" she said.

Hermione looked up at her. "Did Ron cry?"

Mrs. Granger nodded. "Only five minutes after he found out…. He left the next morning looking for you," she told the younger woman.

Hermione looked down for a minute then at the slumbering girls. "I thought I was going to die," she whispered. "Those last four months before I was captured… I thought I was going to die…"

"Ron never stopped looking for you," Laurie whispered, moving over towards the bed.

"Yeah, but he forgot he had another daughter to take care of…"

"He didn't forget."

"No… I suppose not… Triniti. I watched my little girl die… I am _not_ going to watch my husband die as well," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Mrs. Granger moved over to her daughter and pulled the woman up into a much needed hug. Hermione broke down, holding onto her mother, desperate for assurance. She needed to know that it would be ok. Laurie held her daughter close, stroking her hair soothingly.

"It'll be ok," she whispered. "Ron's a strong man. He's made it this far…"

Hermione sniffed. "I shouldn't have gone for the wand," she whispered.

"No… No, Hermione. It's not your fault."

"Yes it is! It's my fault for making Ron suffer for the past seven years and it's my fault he's suffering right now!"

"Ron's not suffering," Laurie said, glancing over at the children. By now, the anguished ramblings of their mother had invaded their dreams and brought them back to a reality they'd rather not be in. They were all watching their mother, a fearful look in their eyes.

"Hermione, please! Ron wouldn't want you tormenting yourself," Laurie implored, her heart breaking to see her daughter tear herself apart over this. "Don't become what Ron was," she whispered.

Hermione looked over at her mother. "What? What did he do?"

"Dad got drunk every Christmas," Lorel answered.

Hermione bit her lip. "Drunk?"

Lorel got out of bed. "He almost hit me," she exclaimed.

"And he would have if someone hadn't stopped him," Mrs. Granger finished.

For a moment all Hermione could do was just stare, then she got up and left the room. Going down the stairs and entering the kitchen, she bypassed all the concerned faces and exited the Burrow, bursting into a sprint until she reached the pond. Falling to her knees she stayed there for a while, not knowing exactly why she had come out here.

"Hermione?"

"What Harry?"

Harry didn't answer, just standing there watching her. Turning slightly from her position on the ground, Hermione looked over at him.

"Did he really drink?"

At first the question startled him, but then he realized what she meant. He frowned and walked over to her.

"Ron… Ron did a lot of things after you disappeared," he answered carefully.

"Was he really that horrible?"

"He was hardly here, Hermione," Harry answered, his voice tainted with a slight bitterness that surprised Hermione.

"You were left to raise Lorel… you all were," she whispered.

Harry nodded. He picked up some stones and commenced to skip them across the pond. "He couldn't really bring himself to face Lorel again. Reminded him to much of what he'd lost…"

There was a short pause then Hermione began fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "Now I'm going to lose him," she whispered.

"You don't know that."

"Oh come on, Harry. You heard her! She said even if he _does_ come out of the coma, he'll have brains damage. He might not remember any of us. He might end up having the intelligence of a five year old! Or he might just-" She stopped suddenly and turned away.

Harry dropped his rocks and went over to her. "Ron's not going to die," he said.

"You don't know that," she whispered. She looked around then turned to him. "I never told you this, but they came to me later… Asked me if I wanted to take him off of the potions," she whispered.

"Hermione, no," Harry murmured.

"I told them no… but… they also said that there was a possibility that he'd… that he'd never wake up… that he'd just… lay there… like a vegetable."

Harry observed her for a minute then touched her arm. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

Hermione looked up at him and shook her head. "I don't know…"

* * *

Ginny looked up from her book.

"Have you talked to Hermione?" she asked, watching as Harry got ready for bed.

He glanced over at her then nodded. "She's… She's been given the choice of taking Ron off of the potions or not," he whispered.

Ginny shut her book sharply and frowned. "Today?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah…"

"He just got there," Ginny said.

"I know… but they already know how things are most likely going to turn out and Hermione doesn't want him to suffer."

"But he's not suffering. He's not aware of anything!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Harry retorted, turning away from the drawer to her.

Ginny shoved the covers off her legs and stood up. "What did she decide?"

Harry watched her carefully, taking in her nervous movements and aggressive voice. Sighing, he turned back to the drawer, taking off his shirt and tossing it over to the small chair in the corner.

"She's said no for right now," he answered.

"You mean she's considering it?!"

"Shh!" Harry warned, moving over to the door and closing it. He turned to his wife and ran his hands through his hair. "She said she didn't know. Look Ginny," he said quickly, noticing her objection. "Hermione's confused right now. It's been seven years since she's seen Ron and now he's comatose. She has four kids to think about and doesn't know what to do. You can't expect her not to think about it. If Ron doesn't die, he'll be mentally damaged. Who knows what will happen if he wakes up. Do you think that Hermione would be able to stand it if Ron woke up, completely oblivious to whom she is?"

"Hermione's been that way for the past seven years Harry! Ron's had to endure that last week of it!"

"That's not the same, Ginny and you know it," Harry shot.

Ginny flung up her hands. "She shouldn't just give up because of brain damage. The healer said that he could be fine," she said.

"The healer said that there was a small chance of that. A _very_ small chance of that," Harry whispered.

"There's still a chance!"

Harry sighed and walked over to Ginny, taking her face in his hands. "This is Hermione's choice. She doesn't want to be hurt," he whispered.

"She doesn't have to kill him!"

"What do you think letting him live will do to her, Ginny! If he doesn't remember or his intelligence is reduced! How do you think this will affect her? She just remembered everything and to make her suffer through the same thing Ron suffered through is worse than killing him," Harry retorted.

"What do you think being responsible for his death will do to her? She has to think this through? It's not just her, Harry. We all should have a say in this. We shouldn't be hurt because of this," she growled.

"Hermione doesn't want to hurt anyone," Harry whispered.

"Then don't be responsible for killing him," Ginny replied, pulling away from Harry and walking into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

**A/N: Oooooo... the tension's rising!**

**laura truewood:** Thank you.

**sballLuvr5:** Well... Now he might be worse than dead.

**charma10: **No... not dead... yet...

**Hello.I'mMarySue:** I'm glad you like it so much.

**Mandy:** He's not dead yet. Hermione still has to go through a lot more before he dies.

**Avanell:** Thanx!

**Cynthia Cacciola:** "Not hurt to badly" is an understatement.

**Wesker888:** Maybe not after all of _this_, but if I feel that his presense is no longer needed... (draws a finger across throat)

**Chapter Tease: (Because I'm nice)**

_"I mean… He's basically killing himself," she whispered._


	23. Making Decisions

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot.**

Sitting on a small lawn chair, she sat there, watching her daughters play around with their cousins, oblivious to the pain their mother was going through. The inner turmoil that had been caused by the suddenness of her recovery and the quickness of Ron's fading. She had two choices which led to three consequences. None of them she'd be strong enough to live with. The first and obvious was what Muggles called, 'pulling the plug.' That would make her responsible for his death…

Second would just to do nothing and leave it all in the hands of a higher power. Would she be able to live with herself if Ron woke up with severe brain damage or worse didn't wake up at all?

Even though the healer had said that he had a chance of recovering without much damage, the chances of that happening were one in a million. Her odds were dissipating the longer Ron stayed in his coma. The longer she kept him alive…

Though, ultimately she knew it was up to her, the Weasley's did have a say in what happened, which would make it even harder. She knew they would want to keep him alive for as long as possible and that they would offer to pay for his stay in the hospital, but could she do that? Take more from them when they had already taken care of their daughter for the past seven years as well as dealt with Ron. Could she be that bold?

Tears filled her eyes as she looked away from the playful scene. This is what it had come to…

* * *

"_Ron is that you?"_

"_Depends."_

"_Come here!" _

"_I said it depends. I could be some robber."_

"_Ronald Bilius Weasley, if you don't want me to tell your brothers that you screamed like a girl when that spider was in the shower, I suggest you get in here right now!"_

_Ron screeched to a halt, narrowly missing the island counter as he sprinted into the kitchen. Hermione was standing there, tears running down her face._

"_What happened?" he asked hesitantly. _

_Hermione glanced at him then shook her head, turning away from him. Ron walked over to her, taking her arms and fearing the worst. _

"_Hermione… what happened?" he repeated, his fear mounting as the silence continued._

_She looked up at him._

"_We… We can't have kids right now," she whispered._

_Ron's heart sank. Here he was, ready to tell Hermione his good news when she hits him with this. She was covering her mouth as she struggled to keep it all together, watching him carefully. The pain was evident in his face. They had been trying for a year but nothing was happening. It wasn't like there was anything wrong. Hermione was perfectly healthy as was he, but it was just that… nothing was happening. _

_Ron looked up at Hermione._

"_Hermione… I…" _

_What do you say to a woman who, not only was desperate to get pregnant, but was surrounded by pregnant people all the time?_

_He looked helpless._

_Hermione pulled him into a much needed hug, squeezing him tightly as she buried her face in his chest._

"_Ron… I can't get pregnant because I already am," she whispered._

_There was a moment's pause then Ron pulled away, holding her out at arms length._

"_What?"_

_Hermione broke out into a huge smile, wiping her tears from her eyes._

"_I'm pregnant Ron," she repeated. _

_Ron just stared at her for what seemed like for ever, the concept churning in his mind. _

_Suddenly a whoop was let out and Hermione was lifted into the air. She was pulled down to him and their lips immediately met hungrily. Ron then pulled away, caressing her face lovingly._

"_You're pregnant," he whispered._

_She nodded._

"_Yes… I am!" she answered._

_Ron grinned stupidly and kissed her again._

"_I love you," he muttered.

* * *

_

Ginny looked up to see Fred come in. Nodding silently, she turned her attention back to her prone brother.

"You hungry?"

"How can you think of food?"

"I was just-"

"I know… I'm just tired," Ginny interrupted, looking up at Fred and watching him before turning back to Ron.

"She won't accept our money… she won't accept aid from anyone yet she's determined to keep him alive until she decides to stop the potions," Ginny told him.

"She's trying to do the right thing, Ginny. We've raised Lorel for most of her life and Hermione feels that she depending on us for anything else would be too much."

"Where's she going to get the money, Fred? She has no job and she… She's been gone for seven years. Do you know how much paper work it takes to bring back a dead person? She can't get a job, she can't get any money from the bank… legally she can't _do_ anything," Ginny snapped.

Fred held up his hands. "Ok, I get it! I was just saying… You know Hermione… she thinks things through logically, most of the time... She wants to do what's best for Ron, not us, Ginny. Obviously we want to keep him alive, but how long, Ginny?"

"You think we should just let him die?"

"No, but I think we should think about what could happen if we let him live… What type of life would he have if he comes out of that coma with brain damage?"

Ginny just sat there staring at him. Here was a brother who never took a thing seriously in his life and now… he made sense…

"Ah… ah… ah…"

The two turned to Ron, frowning. His mouth was open now and gaping, strange noises coming from his mouth.

"Ah… ah… ah… ah…"

Ginny moved closer, touching Ron's arm.

"Ron? Ron, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Ah… ah… ah…. AHHHHHH!"

Ginny and Fred stumbled back when he started screaming, his back arching and his fingers curling around the sheets. Fred approached again, trying to find any outside injuries.

"Oh no… Ginny! Go get help!" he ordered.

"What is it?"

"GO!" he screamed, backing up as blood began to pour out over the bed and drip onto the floor.

* * *

"I don't care! I don't care that you've stabilized him! You said that last time, what the hell happened!" Hermione demanded.

"Mrs. Weasley!"

"Don't you Mrs. Weasley me! You told me he was stabilized. You told me that you had stopped the bleeding."

"We had!"

"Then why is the bed he was in filled with blood?!"

"Hermione calm down!"

"NO! I will not calm down. That is my husband in there and you lied to me!"

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione backed down, glaring hatefully at Harry before looking away. "I need to use the bathroom," she growled, shoving past everyone. Before the bathroom door closed a sob escaped.

Mr. Weasley turned back to the healer, giving her an apologetic look. "I am very sorry. She's been through a lot in the past few days," he whispered.

The healer nodded, coughing. "I am sorry for what happened as well. We thought we had it under control but he proved us wrong."

"What do you mean, he proved us wrong?" Ginny asked incredulously.

The healer glanced around uneasily. "I must warn you. This might not be something you want to hear," she said.

"What do you mean?" Bill repeated.

The healer sighed. "It seems that Ron's giving up."

"What do you mean, giving up?"

"I mean… He's basically killing himself," she whispered.

"Killing himself? Why would he want to do that?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.

"Apparently he's giving up. We have had cases in which the patient gives up the will to live and their body destroys itself. Ron's body is doing the same thing."

"But why would he…"

"I don't know that answer, I'm afraid. We have never actually be able to fully understand the curse and therefore the recovery of it is slim. "

"Ron wouldn't give up… he wouldn't."

"Perhaps he knows the consequences."

"How could he _know_ the consequences? He's in a coma," George pointed out.

The healer sighed. "We have had some cases in which the patient was actually fully aware of certain things at certain times. Some were aware of their surroundings. The time. The pain… Maybe Ron is aware but we don't know."

"But… you should know!" Ginny said.

The healer shook her head. "Magic can only take us so far. We cannot enter a comatose mind. Even with Dark Magic that is impossible…"

"So you're saying there's nothing you can do?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Exactly…"

* * *

For the first time in years, Hermione got down on her knees, bowed her head and prayed. She prayed for the dying husband and the children that might not have the chance to know who he really was. She prayed for making the right decision. She prayed for faith…

* * *

"Mom?"

Hermione turned to see Lorel watching her. Smiling, she stood up and walked over to her daughter. "What is it?"

"Is dad going to die?"

Hermione's face fell and she pulled the girl into a hug.

"I… I don't know…"

"Is he really giving up?"

Hermione closed her eyes, trying not to cry. "Your father doesn't give up… He doesn't give up," she whispered, trying to convince herself as well.

* * *

"Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione looked up from Ron's bedside.

"Yes?"

The healer glanced over at Ron then at Hermione. "The hospital needs to know if you've changed your mind about stopping the potions. We know you're in a difficult position finacially and we require notice if you are not able to-"

"I understand," Hermione interuppted. She watched Ron for a while then turned to the healer. "Will he be in pain?"

"Pardon?"

"If he comes of the potions. Will he be in pain before he dies?" she asked quietly.

The healer watched Hermione for a moment then blinked, looking down at her file. "I... He will be in some pain," she answered.

"Is he in pain now?"

There was a moment's pause then the healer looked up. "More than likely."

Hermione bit her lip and turned back to Ron, taking his hand. "We never had the chance to say goodbye..."

**A/N: ...**

**xXxRonHermionexXx:** Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it.

**RHrWilLizKataangPrincess2010:** Happy endings are a dime a dozen, if that makes sense because it doesn't to me. I just used the saying. Don't work yourself up about things. The thing most people have realized about me is that I'm unpredictable! BTW, I _just_ saw the PotC 3 trailer and AHHHH! I CAN'T WAIT!

**cellogirl:** Glad you're enjoying it darling!

**Cynthia Cacciola:** Knowing me, he might not make it out at all.

**Lor'sEvilRumour:** You're right... he is too sexy... but I might still kill him anyway. There's not enough sexy to go around. If I can't have him, then no one can! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

**MR4EVA:** I seem to be good at that... making people cry.

**Ashsmee:** Everyone has to die eventually.

**Ron and Mione forever:** Like I said above, everyone has to die eventually.

**Avanell:** You know me. I love to torture people.

**Wesker888:** The hospital just stepped in.

**sballLuvr5:** Magic can't fix everything.

**charma10:** Yeah... wouldn't that be... _ironic_... hahaha...haha..ha... ahem... Well!

**No Chapter Tease...**


	24. Entering the Valley

**Disclaimer: HP not mine!**

"Hermione… Hermione what happened?"

Hermione looked up at Harry through tear stained eyes.

"They're taking him off the potions."

Harry's shoulders sagged. "Hermione no… You said you wouldn't!"

"He's in pain, Harry."

"SO! You just killed him!" Harry bellowed.

Hermione stood up, glaring at him. "Do you think I wanted this to happen?! I love him too, Harry!"

"This isn't about you, Hermione!"

"You're right. This isn't. It's about Ron and right now…"

"Hermione… you don't have to kill him…"

"Letting him live would be worse… he should have been awake by now… Could you really have let him just lie there, completely aware of everything but unable to do anything about it. In pain."

"He's in pain now!"

Hermione looked away. "I… Ron deserves peace… He deserves to be released from everything I put him through," she whispered.

"But killing him…"

Hermione looked up at Harry and the look in her eyes completely broke him. She looked lost… helpless…

"Is that what I'm doing? Killing him?" she asked in such a quiet voice Harry had to strain to hear her. She continued to stare at him. "Then I'm responsible… just like I'm responsible for my disappearance and for abandoning Aphrodite… I'm the reason he's dying now… It's been my fault the whole time," she whispered, her eyes blank and staring.

Harry shook his head. "No… no, it's Malfoy's fault not yours, Hermione," he said, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands. "None of this is your fault."

"Mrs. Weasley…"

The two looked up to see a healer standing there. "Would you like to say goodbye?" the man asked softly.

"NO! Hermione don't you dare do this!"

They all turned to see the whole Weasley family running down the corridor, headed by Molly Weasley herself. The woman marched right up to Hermione and glared at her.

"How _dare_ you! You have no right to end this!"

Hermione glared back, wiping away the tears and standing up. "I have _every_ right to do this," she snapped.

"Ron deserves to live!"

"And wake up not being able to speak?!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

"I know that the chances of him waking up are one in a million!"

"It's happened before!"

"Sure, but that doesn't mean he'll be normal!"

"So that's it! If he's not _normal_ you're just going to kill him!"

"That's not what I meant!" Hermione retorted.

"If I remember correctly, you're not that normal either for a _muggleborn_!"

Some people gasped at Mrs. Weasley's comment, surprised that she would say something to bold.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Hermione screeched, her heart constricting painfully at the hurtful words. "Ron's in pain! He's in severe pain! I can't live with that!"

"So you're just going to kill him _painfully_!" Mrs. Weasley accused venomously.

"You don't understand what he's going through! What I'm going through!"

"What about us, Hermione?! We're his family! We deserve a say!"

Mr. Weasley glanced between the two and raised his hand.

"May I say something?"

"NO!" the two women screamed, glaring at each other hatefully.

"You have no right to take him off those potions!" Mrs. Weasley continued.

"He's a vegetable! He's not going to wake up!"

"Why are you so convinced that he won't wake up? You act as if you don't want him to wake up! Like you want him to die!"

"HE WANTS TO DIE!"

"A true wife wouldn't do that to her husband! If she loved him she'd let him LIVE!"

In that moment, Hermione cracked. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor sobbing. She could not take it any more. The pressure. The pain. She wanted to disappear again. She wanted to go away and forget it all and never return. Grabbing her wand she disapparated before anyone could say anything.

* * *

Appearing in the Burrow, she stumbled up the stairs and into Ron's old room, slamming the door behind her and locking it before going to the closet and pulling out boxes. She found the one she was looking for. Pulling out the old albums she sat down on the floor and opened them, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she flipped through. Letting out a sob, she threw the album at the wall and staggered over to the bed, falling down upon it and curling up, pulling the pillow to her. Breathing in deeply, she could smell the faint cinnamon scent and she cried harder, praying to God that Ron would some how come back to her.

* * *

Hermione looked up as Harry entered the room, glancing around to see the discarded albums. She wiped away some more tears and looked out the window.

"I'm assuming he's still resting in pain," she whispered.

"Hermione… what she said-"

"Don't Harry… she had every right to say those things… she's probably right…"

Harry went over to her. "That's not true, Hermione. You love Ron."

"I was just about to let him die," she countered.

"That doesn't mean you don't love him."

"Then what does it mean?" Hermione asked. "What does it mean, Harry?"

"I… I don't know…"

Hermione looked down at her hands, biting her lip. "What if he never wakes up, Harry? What if he just stays like that? Alive… listening… but not able to respond… What type of an existence is that?" she asked.

Harry sat down on the bed beside her, looking out the window as well. "I guess there are worse things than death," he whispered.

Hermione looked over at Harry. "Death doesn't have to be that bad… Some people get to go to heaven…"

Harry looked at her. "Some people?"

Hermione nodded. "Not everyone goes to heaven, Harry," she whispered.

"How do you get to heaven?"

"You have to believe," she whispered.

"Do you?"

Hermione remained silent for a long time. Before her eyes flashed a life that had crashed down on her so fast. Was there still something left to believe in?

"I don't know anymore," she answered softly.

* * *

_Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me._

**Psalm 23:4**

**

* * *

**

**A/N: I am sooo sorry about this! I was planning on updating earlier but the stupid thing wouldn't let me upload my files so I had to wait! I'm really sorry about making you all wait for so long.**

**JustAnotherReader: **I'm really glad you like it!

**OzDust:** It's a sad cycle of events...

**laura truewood:** I like happy endings also, but if you read most of my stories, the prequels for some, you can see that I don't like _writing_ happy endings.

**Ashsmee:** Well, Ashy, I hope that verse gives you some encouragement. It helps me get through many obstacles in my life.

**Mandy:** I believe someone said that patience is a virtue!

**cellogirl:** Sorry it took so long.

**xXxRon HermionexXx:** In times like these I say, "Keep a stiff upper lip and never say die!!"

**Cynthia Cacciola:** His daughters? He's spent some time with them already. I'm rooting for the Ron/Hermione thing!

**sballLuvr5:** I'm not normal and neither are my stories.

**charma10:** See, you and I would get along very well. You believe that people have to die eventually, but you go through it logically. There has to be an explanation and it cant be the cause of a loved one.

**MR4EVA:** Well, Mr. 4EVA, no one lives 4 eva!

**Chapter Tease: (Because I haven't updated in a long time!)**

_Hermione kneeled down in front of the grave, tears streaming down her face._

_"I'm so sorry..."_


	25. Coming Home

**A/N: This is the last chapter.**

"Hermione… Hermione, wake up," Harry whispered, shaking her.

Hermione mumbled something then finally opened her eyes, looking up at Harry.

"What is it?" she asked groggily.

Harry smiled.

"It's Ron… He woke up."

The entire waiting room was bursting with excitement as they all waited for the healer to come out. Hermione was clinging tightly to Harry, biting her lip as they both prayed for the healer's quick arrival.

"There she is," Mrs. Weasley whispered, standing up with Arthur.

The woman came over to them with a smile on her face. "Hello. I'm guessing you're all awaiting the news. Ron is fine. Miraculously, he woke up this morning without a scratch on him. We've been doing some testing and haven't found a trace of what ever affected him left. We're going to hold him here for another day though, just for precautions but he should be ready to go tomorrow. He's up actually and is requesting, Hermione?" She looked up. "Hermione Weasley," she said.

Hermione pushed past Harry. "I'm here," she said. "I want to see my husband," she whispered.

"So do we!"

They all turned to see Lorel, Aphrodite, Artemis and Athena running over to their mother. They all surrounded Hermione, clinging to her. The Healer's eyes were wide but she nodded. She looked up to the others.

"I'll come back to get you shortly," she told them before leading Hermione and the girls down the hall and into one of the rooms.

"DAD!" Lorel screamed, running away from the others. The three other girls followed, crowding around the bed.

Hermione slacked behind, taking her time. Just a few days ago she had seen this man fall, cold. Just a few days ago, she had left this man, knowing exactly who he was and why she remembered. Now she was here… free…

He was smiling, holding two of the girls while the others were sitting on his bed, all speaking at once. He had changed. His eyes, though looking completely happy at the moment, were filled with past pain as well. A pain she had caused the day she had disappeared. His bright red hair was hanging in front of his beautiful blue eyes.

At that moment she had the incredible need to be alone with him. To remember what she had lost…

"Girls… Why don't you leave dad and I alone for a while," she whispered.

Ron looked up and instantly his heart constricted painfully in his chest. Never had he seen anything so beautiful until that moment. Her watery, red, puffy eyes. Her messy hair. Her pale face. Everything was so incredibly pathetic yet so sexy, it hurt.

The girls glanced over at their mother, said goodbye to dad and left the room. At first, Hermione started over to Ron quickly, but then she stopped, biting her lip. Her hands went up to her hair. If the situation had been different, Ron would have laughed, but now… he just watched her every movement, taking in the little lines on her face that hadn't been there before. He took in the pain she had gone through. Ron got out of the bed and walked over to her, standing right in front of her. Hermione looked up at him, her eyes glancing down to his lips. She reached up and touched them gently, gasping.

"Ron."

He leaned in and captured her lips with his. Instantly, she opened her mouth to him, letting him explore where he hadn't been for seven years. That's when she started crying silently. It had been seven years and the passion hadn't died. The excitement she got when kissing him was still there and she wanted more. She wanted to _feel_ more. Ron's arms wrapped around her, crushing her body to his as their mouths moved against each other, aggressive and fiery. Hermione ran her hands up and down his arms, missing the feel of them in her grip, ending up in his red hair, pulling his lips closer to hers. It had been seven years since she had last felt his hair between her fingers.

Hermione pulled away for a moment, taking much needed breath. Ron looked on, slightly worried.

"If we're moving to fast…"

Hermione placed a finger on his lips, her eyes looking into his, burning with a blaze he hadn't seen in a long time. "Shut up," she growled, pulling his head back to hers, their lips moving at a much faster speed, desperate to regain lost time. His lips left hers, moving down her jaw and down her neck, his teeth grazing her burning skin as it went, longing for the taste of her. He needed to forget the hurt right now. He needed to forget the memories. All he wanted to do was get lost in her. Get lost and never return.

As he kissed her neck, his hands dove under her shirt, caressing her smooth skin. Hermione held him close, gasping as his hands ran over her body.

"Ron… please," she begged. Their lips met again in a heated battle, both desperate to remember. Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he grinned as she moaned, grinding her hips against his. He began to unbutton her shirt, kissing her gently over her face as she continued to struggle for breath.

Shoving the shirt off her shoulders, he picked her up, their lips never loosing contact. As he carried her to the bed, she pressed herself closer to him, cradling his face in her hands as their tongues danced. Before they made it to the bed, Ron set her down. Their kisses became more intense and finally Hermione broke away, leaving them both panting. They both stood there for a moment, eyes closed, clinging to each other. Hermione finally looked up, her eyes searching his face. Her heart swelled and the fire burned brighter. She put her hands on his chest and began to push him back until he fell back on the small bed. Getting up so that she straddled him, she pulled the band out of her hair, letting it fall to her shoulders. They watched each other for a moment, taking it all in then Ron leaned up and met her lips half way. Hermione's hands traveled down over his shirt to his pants where they stopped, trembling. Ron sensed the hesitation from her and pulled away, looking into her dark eyes. Ron kissed her reassuringly before pulling her closer.

Hermione could feel herself slowly letting go again and she wanted to let go. But then something struck her. Pulling away, she sat up, looking around.

"Not here," she whispered. She looked down at him. "Not here," she repeated.

Instantly Ron understood what she meant and looked around then spotted what he needed. Grabbing his wand, he pulled her to him and they disapparated.

* * *

Appearing in the living room, Hermione looked around. It had been so long… 

Ron, however, wasn't interested in what was around them, his lips glued to her neck. Hermione closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before pulling away. She watched him groan at the loss, his need for _her_ growing stronger with every waking moment. She took his hand and began to lead him to the staircase and up to their room. They had just made it past the door when she stopped and turned to him. Turning to him, she looked up into his eyes. Neither of them moved. Neither said a word. They just gazed into each others eyes, comforted by this one moment of inaction and silence. It said everything words couldn't. That even through all the pain and all the suffering, this… this love… would always stay the same…

Hermione reached up and touched his face, pulling his lips to hers. This time they took their time. Relishing every caress and missing every moment. Hermione then pulled away again and reached down, pulling at the hem of his shirt. She pulled it up and over his head, tossing it to the side and taking in his chest. Her head tilted to the side and a small smile appeared on her face as she reached out and touched his abdomen. He just watched her, amazed at how beautiful she looked. How beautiful she always looked. She looked up at him and her smile grew brighter. She leaned in and kissed his chest. She then laid her head on his chest, shivering as he wrapped his arms around her.

Pulling away slightly, Hermione looked up at him, her eyes clouded. "Make love to me," she whispered. Ron smiled and she brought his head down to hers again and they kissed fervently. Ron ran his hands through her hair and down her back again, landing gingerly on her backside. They made their way to the bed and Ron laid her down, their lips still moving together. Finally Ron pulled away, looking down at her. He took in her disheveled hair and full pink lips. The way her body looked in the pale moonlight. She watched his eyes rove over her and smiled wickedly, pulling him back to her. She dipped her head down and kissed his collarbone, causing Ron to moan. Soon the only clothing that remained was a necklace and a wrist watch. Their bodies fusing, burning, as they explored each other; it was not new and yet it was like discovering something original. Something fresh. Something amazing. As their feelings gave way to mounting passion, they melded; male and female fitting perfectly together. It was like coming home; their bodies moving urgently until they came as one, their muffled cries heard only by the birds in the trees.

This is what they both wanted. What they both needed… to feel complete…

* * *

Harry, Ginny, Alicia and George entered the room only to find no one there. 

Ginny frowned.

"Where are they?"

Alicia pointed to some stuff that had been knocked down. "What were they doing?" she asked.

George grinned, pointing to the shirt on the ground. "Judging by Hermione's discarded clothing, it doesn't take much to guess _who_ they're _doing_," he quipped.

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Don't you ever think of anything else?" she muttered, picking up the shirt and walking out of the room.

George followed her out. Harry glanced over at Ginny who was trying not to smile. They exited the room to find George and Fred laughing while Mrs. Weasley looked slightly indignant.

"Well, I hope they didn't go to the Burrow," she said.

Ginny laughed, taking Harry's hand in hers. "Believe me, mum. I highly doubt they'd go to the Burrow… especially with all the catching up their doing," she added.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley!"

Ginny shrugged. "It's true," she mumbled.

While everyone began to disperse, Harry leaned into Ginny's ear. "Speaking of catching up, we haven't had much time to ourselves since Hermione arrived."

Ginny smiled and looked into his beautiful green eyes. "What's your point, Mr. Potter?"

"My point, Mrs. Potter, is that I miss you and I would like to have the chance to show you just how much I miss you," he whispered into her ear, causing her to shudder with excitement.

Ginny took his hand and led him back into Ron's hospital room.

"Gin, where are we going?" Harry asked.

Ginny pulled him into the room and locked the door. "We're going to finish what Ron and Hermione started here," she whispered before pulling him to her.

* * *

In the early morning, sunrays danced over the room. A room it had seen empty for so long but now gave way to something beautiful again. Something remembered. A beauty that had not been seen for over seven years. 

They were both awake now, gazing into each others eyes silently as the day began. Hermione lay on top of Ron, resting her head on his chest, needing to hear him breathe. Her fingertips trailed up and down his arm as he watched her. He wanted to ask her so many questions yet he found himself speechless under the intensity of her gaze. Her beauty.

Hermione reached up to touch his cheek and bit her lip.

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?" he asked, trailing soft circles over her back.

"For leaving… for doing what I did…"

Ron shook his head. "You were trying to protect the girls," he whispered.

"You could have died…"

"But I didn't."

"Ron-"

Ron leaned in and kissed her, taking his time to enjoy the softness of her lips. "It's not your fault so I don't want to hear any more of it," he growled into her ear. When she looked away, he took her face in his hands. "Hey… we're alive aren't we?"

Hermione sighed. "Not all of us," she replied.

A deathly silence fell over them and Hermione sat up, straddling him and looking away. Ron couldn't help but take in her body before sitting up himself.

"What happened to Triniti is Malfoy's fault, not ours…"

Tears started to roll down her cheeks as her mind went back to that night. Ron wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him, holding her tight as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

Ron stroked her hair as she continued to cry, in his heart knowing that things would get better now that they were a family again. Hermione pulled away slightly, holding his face in her hands.

"I want to see her… I want to see my daughter…" she whispered.

Ron nodded and kissed her gently before pulling her back to him where she cried.

* * *

Things were quiet as they walked past the carved stones. They held hands as they made their way to her grave. Hermione noticed a couple over to the side, holding each other as they stared painfully at a grave. Hermione bit her lip and closed her eyes. Ron noticed and pulled her closer, leading her to their daughter's resting place. 

"There she is," he whispered, motioning to the small carved grave stone.

Hermione stared for the longest time, reading the words.

"Here lies Triniti Elaine Weasley. Loved daughter," Ron whispered.

Hermione kneeled down in front of the grave, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Mommy."

Ron and Hermione turned to see Harry and Ginny standing there with their daughters. Hermione let out a small sob and opened her arms where they all ran to her, holding her. Ron stared at them for a moment then turned to Harry and Ginny.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Ginny smiled and hugged him. "Now you can start over," she whispered.

Hermione looked up from the girls and offered a small smile. "We can, can't we…"

Harry nodded and took Athena by the hand. Ginny took Lorel's hand and they started for the exit. Hermione turned to Ron and walked to him. They stared at each other for a moment then she smiled and took Aphrodite and Artemis and left. Ron turned to Triniti's grave.

"I love you," he whispered. He then looked up at the sky and smiled. "Thank you…"

With that, he turned and followed after the others, feeling as if a heavy load had been lifted off of him. They had finally arrived back home…

**A/N: Yes, my friends. It's over. But it has been a beautiful journey with all of you. But don't think of it as the end but as the beginning of something much better. Just think. In another week or so, I'll be coming out with a _new_ story to tell. Though I doubt it will be anything like this. I must admit. This is probably my favorite story which is probably why I took so long with it. I _love_ this story. Most likely because it has a deeper meaning for me...**

**Courtneyyyy:** I'm glad you liked it. This was a very difficult story to write.

**Mandy:** Don't worry. I find myself getting impatient sometimes when I can't think of what to write. Then I start mumbling to myself and tell myself to get a grip then I come up with stuff like this. :-)

**cellogirl:** I'm happy you enjoyed it so much. Don't stay away too long. I'll have a new story out in no time!

**RHrWilLizKataangPrincess2010:** I don't think you have to feel sorry for Hermione anymore! ;-) I CAN'T WAIT FOR POTC!!!!

"There's not been a gatherin' like this in our lifetime." Barbosa.

"And I owe them all money." Jack.

LOVE IT!!!

**LitaFanForLife:** Don't worry!

**sballLuvr5:** I did this just for you!

**ronandmion4ever:** Yeah, I remember that quote. They're trying to get to the back of the ship and this guy's taking forever. Anyway, you never know, it _could_ be an old Hermione later on, but that's a totally different story.

**charma10:** Since when am I not that obvious? I think in several other stories that I've been _painfully_ obvious with my intention... but hey! You were right. I'm not always that obvious:-)

**Wesker888:** Well, I wanted to put something inspirational on there. They were going through a really hard time. I remember that verse when I'm going through a hard time.

**See you all next time!**

**And as most of the times, I'll give you a quick preview of my next story, Numb. Please look out for it in the next week or so. And now, a preview of Numb!**

_Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from crying. "Ron… Ron, I… I can't," she whispered. Ron took her face in his hands. _

_"Hermione, please… I don't want to lose you again," he murmured. He leaned in and kissed her all over her face, but she wouldn't let him kiss her lips. Her eyes closed for a moment before she pushed his hands away. _

_"Ron, please! I… you promised me you wouldn't do this…" _


End file.
